Cameron Diaz is finally ready to embrace life as a working mom.
After taking a decade off from acting to get married and raise her and husband Benji Madden's family—which includes 5-year-old daughter Raddix and son Cardinal, 10 months—the 52-year-old revealed why she was more than happy to put her career on the back-burner before recently returning to Hollywood to star in her new Netflix action film Back in Action.
"You're a different person after you have children, after marriage, after building a life," Diaz exclusively told E! News' Will Marfuggi in a joint interview with costar Jamie Foxx. "Everything changes, your whole perspective, your whole world, your understanding of it. For me, I never made a movie before with a family. So, all of the boxes change that need to be checked off. That's the most important, and then everything else has to line up to support that." (Watch E! News tonight, Jan. 20, for more of the exclusive sit-down with Diaz and Foxx.)
But after putting her priorities in a new order, the My Best Friend's Wedding alum admitted that, while stepping back onto a movie set was a little jarring at first, it came with a whole new outlook in terms of storytelling.
"As an actor, it's completely different having taken 10 years and lived a life that I wasn't living when I was an actor," she added. "There's a lot more happening in my world that allows me a different perspective on life, period."
And after spending half a decade blissfully at home with their kids, it took a lot of enticing from Foxx before Diaz agreed to join Back in Action.
"I hadn't considered anything other than this," she admitted. "Benji and I talked about 'maybe it would be cool to do something with the family,' like switch it up a little bit. The only reason I would even consider it is because I know what I'm getting into with [Jamie] as a partner: His talent, his professionalism."
Plus, she is even honored she's still getting offers.
"To be able to have the privilege to come back after 10 years and even have this as an option to me," The Holiday star continued, "to be able to make a movie at this level and to entertain people again, I always have seen it as a privilege. I feel really lucky to do it. So, it was really fun to be able to say yes to it."
As for Foxx's attempts at luring his costar to the project, he said he and the filmmakers felt "so fortunate" they were able to coax Diaz—with whom he’s previously collaborated twice—out of retirement.
"We wanted to be very gracious," he told E!. "I told her, 'I don't want your feet to touch the ground. I want this to be the easiest thing and I don't want to mess it up either.' So it definitely made us roll our sleeves up and make sure that this beautiful premise set up and—written by Seth Gordon—was executed in a way to what you have now. We couldn't have hoped for anything better."
Watch E! News tonight, Jan. 20, for more exclusive scoop from Diaz and Foxx. Back in Action is streaming now only on Netflix.
And keep reading to relive her sweet romance with Madden.
One month before tying the knot, Cameron Diaz flashed what appeared to be an engagement ring from Benji Madden.
Surprise! The two tie the knot at the actress' Beverly Hills home.
Jan. 27, 2015: Courtship to Courtside
The newlyweds were all loved up watching the Lakers play the Wizards in L.A.
Benji gets a tattoo of his Cameron's name on his chest.
The There's Something About Mary star opens up on Andy Cohen's Radio Andy show about how she and Benji met.
"The first thing I said when I first met my husband was, 'He's hot,'" she says. "How come I didn't know this before? We had never been in the same circle."
Cameron adds that they formally met when she hosted a dinner party at her house with his brother Joel Madden and sister-in-law Nicole Richie. Joel asked if he could invite Benji. Cameron says, "Then I saw him again. Wait a second, still hot!"
June 2016: We Are Family
Nicole Richie's dad Lionel Richie, husband Joel Madden, sister-in-law Cameron and brothers-in-law Josh (on the left) and Benji showed up to support her Harlow 1960 x REVOLVE launch.
The two vacation in Italy again.
"Getting married to him was the best thing that ever happened to me," she tells InStyle about Benji. "My husband's the best. He's the greatest human being, and he's my great partner. Marriage is certainly hard, and it's a lot of work. You need somebody who's willing to do the work with you, because there's no 60-40 in marriage. It's 50-50, period. All the time."
Cameron and Benji announce on Instagram that they have welcomed a baby girl, Raddix Madden.
"I'm off line mostly these days, just working, painting, making things and doing family life, but I have grown to like my little tradition of coming back on special occasions to show love to my Queen," Benji wrote on Instagram. "so today, it's a very Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, best friend, best partner in everything, ride or die, greatest Mom to our little girl, @Avaline wine boss, family chef, advisor, collaborator and everything else."
March 2024: A Bigger Brood
The couple announce the arrival of their second child, a son named Cardinal Madden.
"He is awesome," they share in a joint Instagram post, "and We are all so happy he is here!"
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