Cameron Diaz has walked away from acting and it may be one of the best things she could have done in order to gain control of her life again.
"I just really wanted to make my life manageable by me," Diaz told Kevin Hart during an appearance on his talk show, "Hart to Heart." "My routine in a day is literally what I can manage to do by myself. It's the best feeling. I feel whole."
Diaz revealed that she had retired from acting in 2018 and the following year said she needed time for herself. Speaking with Hart, she admitted that acting had consumed her life and she had been struggling to manage her personal and financial affairs.
"When you're the person who's sort of delivering on this one thing — you're the person on the screen, you're the person who's 'the talent' — everything around you — all parts of you that isn't that — has to be handed off to other people," Diaz said.
She went on to explain that, while she was focusing on acting, every other aspect of her life was being overseen by others, some of whom may not necessarily have had her best interest in mind.
"I really do think it's about the people you have in your life that can help you keep things moving. And I had some amazing people, and I had some people who were not serving my best interests always," she said,
"But you don't have time to figure those things out if you are just going, going, going, going with blinders on," Diaz added.
Diaz was in her early 20s when she first rose to fame. Her breakthrough role came in 1994, when she appeared opposite Jim Carrey in "The Mask." Dozens of blockbuster roles ensued over the next two decades.
In a 2019 interview with InStyle, Diaz said she felt it was okay to finally take time off to reorganize her life.
"I don’t miss performing," she admitted, later adding that she felt fulfilled with what she had achieved in her career and was now enjoying being away from the public eye.
"It’s fun to just not have anybody know what I’m up to. Because my time is all mine. I’m not selling any films, and because I’m not selling anything, I don’t have to give anybody anything. I’m not doing this anymore. I’m living my life," she said.
Diaz has not completely ruled out the possibility of returning to Hollywood, but it would have to be for something meaningful.
"I like doing my own thing. I like creating, so I’m just looking for the project that makes the most sense for me now," she added. "I have some things brewing, but it’s a little too early to talk about them."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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