Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Who is Cameron Diaz?
Cameron Diaz is an award-winning, retired American actress, writer, and former model. Diaz has an impressive resume and has featured in many successful films, such as The Mask, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Charlie’s Angels, and Vanilla Sky.
She has received nominations for a BAFTA Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her incredible work.
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Cameron Michelle Diaz |
| Popular Name: | Cameron Diaz |
| Gender: | Female |
| Birth Date: | August 30, 1972 |
| Age: | 50 years |
| Parents: | Billie Diaz, Emilio Diaz |
| Siblings: | Chimene Diaz |
| Birth Place: | San Diego, California |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | Spanish Cuban |
| Education: | Long Beach Polytechnic High School |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Benji Madden |
| Children: | Raddix Madden |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | $140 Million |
| Source of Wealth: | Acting, Writing, Entrepreneur |
| Height: | 5ft9 (1.74m) |
| Weight: | 58kg (128lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
Cameron Diaz was born in San Diego, California, to Emilio, a foreman of a California oil company, and Billie Diaz, an import/export agent. She has an elder sister, Chimene. Diaz was raised in Long Beach, California. She is Cuban-American, with her father being of Cuban descent, while her mother has predominantly English and German heritage.
She attended Los Cerritos Elementary School and then Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where she was a classmate of Snoop Dogg. Diaz has spoken of her upbringing as frugal but happy. While growing up, her family would collect soda cans to turn in for extra money because every dollar meant something to them.
She signed with Elite Model Management when she was 16 and appeared in advertisements for Calvin Klein, Levi’s, and Coca-Cola and reputable magazines such as Seventeen.
Diaz made her first Hollywood appearance starring in the big-budget film The Mask. Opposite Jim Carrey in 1994. She auditioned for the role after a recommendation from an agent at Elite. Despite lacking acting experience, she won the female lead role, after which she took acting classes in preparation.
The movie was a huge success, with a grossing of more than $340 million worldwide. The Mask became one of the top ten highest-grossing films of 1994 and launched Diaz as a sex symbol.
In 1996, she had a lead role in the dramatic comedy Feeling Minnesota, in which she co-starred alongside Keanu Reeves, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Courtney Love. That same year, she was cast opposite Jennifer Aniston in the comedy film, She’s the One.
Diaz returned to the mainstream with the 1997 romantic comedy, My Best Friend’s Wedding opposite Julia Roberts. The film was a box-office hit and is considered among the best romantic comedy films of all time.
In 1998, Cameron’s career would make another leap after her titular role in the comedy There’s Something About Mary. The film became a sleeper hit, grossing $176 million in the United States and $369 million worldwide.
Diaz completed the trio of investigators in Los Angeles in the film adaptation Charlie’s Angels alongside Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in 2000. It was one of the highest-grossing films of the year and grossed $264.1 million.
She also voiced Princess Fiona in the DreamWorks animated film Shrek that same year. The film was a tremendous commercial success and grossed $484.4 million worldwide. It became the first movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Diaz appeared in the Martin Scorsese period drama Gangs of New York, besides Leonardo DiCaprio. She moved on to reprise her roles in the commercially successful sequels Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and Shrek 2 (2004).
Her only movie of 2007 was Shrek the Third, the third installment in the Shrek franchise, which featured Timberlake in a supporting role. Despite its mixed reviews, it grossed $798 million worldwide.
She starred in What Happens in Vegas with Ashton Kutcher in 2008, considered one of her most famous movies. She also starred in the film My Sister’s Keeper, based on Jodi Picoult’s novel of the same year.
She reprised her voice role of Princess Fiona in Shrek Forever After, the fourth installment in the Shrek series, grossing a worldwide total of over $752 million.
In 2010, Diaz was ranked in Forbes as the richest female celebrity, ranking her number 60 among the wealthiest 100
In 2011, she was paid a mere $1 million for Bad Teacher upfront but received a portion of box-office earnings, which secured her over $40 million for the movie. It’s regarded as one of the most “legendary” deals in Hollywood history.
The actress’ last onscreen appearance was in 2014’s Annie, and
she decided to take a break from acting following its release. She announced her retirement soon afterward.
She is a New York bestselling author of two books, The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand and Love Your Amazing Body, which she co-wrote with Sandra Bark, and The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time.
Cameron Diaz’s Net Worth
She is amongst one of the first women to earn more than $20 million for a single film role. As such, Cameron remains on the list of the highest-grossing actresses, with box office ticket sales of 7 billion dollars.
Her net worth results from her salary from her acting career and endorsements from advertisers and sponsors. She is also the owner of properties worth millions of dollars in the US, mainly in California and New York. Considering the above, it’s not surprising that Diaz has a staggering net worth of $140 million.
Lessons from the Life of Cameron Diaz
Seize the Moment
The start of her acting career is a testament to the rewards of taking chances. Being cautious is good, but it will not help you on the path to greatness. Diaz decided to take a chance by auditioning for her first role, and it paid off. It led to an incredibly successful career in Hollywood!
Health is Your True Wealth
After over two decades of a busy and successful career, Diaz recognized a need to step back and take better care of herself. There’s nothing wrong with stopping when you are no longer satisfied with your reality; it doesn’t diminish you.
