Cameron Diaz

Cameron Michelle Diaz was born on August 30, 1972, in San Diego, California. Her mother, Billie, worked in import and export, and her father, Emilio, was a foreman for Unocal. She has an older sister. Her father’s family is Cuban, with Spanish roots tracing back to Cádiz; they eventually settled in Ybor City, Florida, before moving to Los Angeles. Her mother’s ancestry is mostly English and German. Diaz grew up in Long Beach, attending Los Cerritos Elementary School and Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where Snoop Dogg was a classmate. She described her upbringing as frugal, saying her family collected soda cans for extra money, but she was happy.

At 16, while still in high school, Diaz signed with Elite Model Management. She appeared in ads for Calvin Klein and Levi’s, and at 17, she was on the cover of *Seventeen* magazine’s July 1990 issue. She also modeled in Australia for a few months and shot a Coca-Cola commercial in Sydney in 1991.

Diaz made her film debut at 21 in *The Mask* (1994), playing a jazz singer named Tina Carlyle. She had no acting experience before the audition, which came through an Elite agent who met the film’s producers. After being cast, she started acting lessons. The movie became a top-ten hit of 1994 and launched her as a sex symbol. She then starred in the independent black comedy *The Last Supper* (1995), playing a liberal graduate student. Roger Ebert called it a brave, Swiftian effort. She followed with a lead role as an ex-stripper in *Feeling Minnesota* (1996), opposite Keanu Reeves and Courtney Love; Variety noted she was well-cast as the sexual aggressor. That year, she also appeared in *She’s the One* (1996) with Jennifer Aniston and *Head Above Water* (1996), a crime-comedy. She was set to star in *Mortal Kombat* but broke her hand during training and had to drop out.

After the little-seen *A Life Less Ordinary*, Diaz returned to the mainstream with *My Best Friend’s Wedding* (1997), playing the wealthy fiancée of Julia Roberts’ character. The film was a global hit and is considered a classic romantic comedy. In 1998, she starred in *There’s Something About Mary* as the titular woman pursued by several men. The *Austin Chronicle* noted she exuded the irresistible “something” the title promised, and that she had shown herself to be a good comic sport in earlier films.

Her dramatic work earned praise in *Any Given Sunday* and *Being John Malkovich* (both 1999). She received acclaim for supporting roles in *Vanilla Sky* (2001) and *Gangs of New York* (2002). She found major commercial success in the *Charlie’s Angels* films (2000 and 2003) and voiced Princess Fiona in the *Shrek* franchise starting in 2001. Her later comedies include *In Her Shoes* (2005), *The Holiday* (2006), *What Happens in Vegas* (2008), *Knight and Day* (2010), *The Green Hornet* (2011), and *Bad Teacher* (2011). After starring in three 2014 comedies—*The Other Woman*, *Sex Tape*, and *Annie*—Diaz retired from acting to focus on family. She returned with the action comedy *Back in Action* (2025).

Diaz wrote two health books: *The Body Book* (2013), a *New York Times* bestseller, and *The Longevity Book* (2016). Her personal life, especially her relationships and fashion, drew media attention. In 2015, she married Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden. They have three children, all via surrogacy. Her films have grossed over $3 billion at the U.S. box office. In 2013, she was named the highest-paid actress over 40. She has been nominated for a British Academy Film Award and four Golden Globe Awards.