October 20, 2023 | Scott Mazza

Little Known Facts About Cameron Diaz


“I can't think of anything that anyone has ever accomplished without having some sort of self-discipline. Without knowing how to work for it. Without learning how to earn it. I talk to my friends who are writers. I say, "Well, how do you do it?" Most all of them will say, "I sit down. I force myself every day to sit down and write for at least two hours. Whether something comes out of it or doesn't come out of it, whether I finish my fifty pages or two, I sit down and I do that because I have to make myself do it". — Cameron Diaz

Known for her easy-going nature and fun-loving style, it's impossible to say a bad word about Cameron Diaz. She is just too sweet, humble and nice! She is also a super talented actor, famous for her comedy and action roles in films such as There’s Something About Mary and Charlie's Angels. The now semi-retired star also leads a full life outside of acting, with passions ranging from writing to extreme sports to environmental activism—and a huge love for her friends. Diaz seems to have truly figured it all out. Read on for more fun and funny facts about one of Hollywood’s sweetest celebrities.


1. Beautiful Beginnings

Cameron Diaz was born in San Diego in 1972, and her middle name is Michelle.

Camerondiaz-Msn

2. Lucky Break

Diaz’s big break was in 1994 when she was awarded the role of Tina Carlyle, the jazz singer in the film The Mask. She had no acting experience at the time and once cast, immediately started lessons. She said she was horrified on the set when Jim Carrey took off the mask. “The process of taking it off is terrifying. It’s just like, glue and chunks of sponge would stay on his face…” Diaz recounted the story at age 41 with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. As a prank, Ellen had a man dressed as The Mask sneak up on her, which left Cameron in a fit of giggles.

The film was a huge success (one of the top grossing films of 1994) and Diaz’s career began in earnest.

 

Cameron Diaz facts The Mask(1994), New Line Cinema

3. Golden Child

She has received many awards and nominations for work throughout her career, including Golden Globe nominations for Being John Malkovich and Gangs of New York and the New York Film Critics Best Lead Actress Award for There’s Something about Mary.

Cameron Diaz facts Shutterstock

4. Heavy Hitter

Despite being semi-retired, Diaz is still the 5th highest-grossing actress in Hollywood, after Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana, Cate Blanchett, and Emma Watson.

The Mask FactsGetty Images

5. Show Me the Money!

She almost had the role opposite Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire—ultimately, they chose Renee Zellweger.

Renee Zellweger factsJerry Maguire (1996), TriStar Pictures

6. Beauty Blend

She gets her amazing looks and personality from an international ancestry: her mother has English, Scots-Irish, and German roots, while her father is Cuban with Spanish heritage.

Cameron Diaz facts Shutterstock

7. Famous For

Around Hollywood circles, Diaz is known for being very superstitious and also for being late.

Cameron Diaz facts Shutterstock

8. Natural Performer

Her performing streak started in high school, where she was a member of the Polyettes, the dance-drill team that performed at sporting events. Later in life, this experience helped her on-set, where she was recognized as a natural athlete who had no problem picking up complex choreography quickly.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

9. There’s Something About That Scene

Perhaps the scene Diaz is most famous for is the “hair gel” scene from There’s Something About Mary. Although applauded for always taking on the most extreme and silly comedy bits, Diaz has recently admitted that she had cold feet about the scene on the day of filming. In an interview, Diaz remembers thinking “This could derail my career". Of course, she did end up doing the scene, and it's been comedy gold ever since.

Cameron Diaz facts There

10. Nineties Craze

Remember L.A. Gear? Who could forget, really? Probably not Cameron Diaz—she was a model for them in the 1990s, along with Nivea and Coca-Cola.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

11. Travels Well

Her modeling career meshed well with her curiosity and eagerness to see the world. After high school, she spent the next five years working as a model and traveling the world. She lived in many places including Paris, Morocco, and Australia, and for much of it was unaccompanied, except for a fellow model of the same age.

Cameron Diaz factsGetty Images

12. Past Lives

Her nickname as a child was “skeletor” because she was very skinny.

Cameron Diaz facts Shutterstock

13. Sisterly Love

Diaz has an older sister named Chimene.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

14. Married Life

Despite writing off marriage as a "dying institution,” Diaz married musician Benji Madden in 2015 after a brief engagement of 17 days.

Cameron Diaz factsWikimedia Commons

15. There’s Something About Those Lamb Chops

Diaz told Bon Appetit magazine that her husband’s favorite recipe of hers is her lamb chops, which she makes with lemon, garlic, oil, salt and oregano, and then grills to perfection. According to Diaz, “Everything tastes better with a squeeze of lemon".

Celebrity Couples FactsGetty Images

16. Metalhead

Although her choice of partner in Benji Madden came as a surprise to many, those who knew Diaz well in high school wouldn’t be shocked to learn she ended up with a tattooed rocker. When she was young, Diaz loved Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, and Ozzy Osbourne, and dated accordingly.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

17. Indie Chick

After her early success in The Mask, Diaz sought more independent film projects, starring in the lesser-known films The Last Supper, Feeling Minnesota, She’s the One and Head Above Water. After her work in independents, she returned to mainstream comedy opposite Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding.

Cameron Diaz facts My Best Friend

18. Kids' Choice

For her turn as the voice of Fiona in Shrek: Forever After, Diaz almost won the Kids' Choice award. She was beat by Eddie Murphy–the voice of the donkey in Shrek.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

19. No Social Media Butterfly

Although she has made a career in movies and performing, Diaz prefers to stay off social media. She isn’t interested in sharing every detail of her life and has called social media a “crazy-a** experiment on society".

Cameron Diaz facts Flickr, Bill Liao

20. Plot Confusion

In an interview in 1994, Diaz admitted that she doesn’t always read scripts and sometimes finds it hard to understand the plot of a movie she is filming, since the scenes are often made out of order.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

21. Teen Dreams

At the age of 17, Diaz was fittingly featured on the cover of teen girl magazine Seventeen. At that time, she told the magazine that her “ultimate dream would to be a zoologist” and “maybe go on safari in Africa and study lions". Cameron Diaz factsYouTube

22. Fake News

Although it is often reported that she is a germophobe, this is untrue–Diaz says that an early comment about using public bathrooms was blown out of proportion.

Cameron Diaz facts Wikimedia Commons

23. She Doesn’t Need It All

Despite starring in the movie What to Expect When You Are Expecting, Diaz claims she was never drawn to having children. Diaz does consider herself a protective person and admits it wasn’t an easy decision, but she is open about her choice and a brave role model for other women in her position.

Cameron Diaz factsWhat to Expect When You're Expecting (2012), Lionsgate

24. Surf Fan

Diaz loves surfing, but in 2003 she broke her nose while surfing on vacation. She has in fact broken her nose a total of four times! Diaz even had to undergo nose surgery to fix a breathing problem resulting from one of the accidents.

The Mask Facts

25. Blade Runner

Diaz had an earlier broken bone while preparing for her role as Sonya Blade in the 1995 movie version of Mortal Kombat; she broke her wrist. She had to give up the role eventually, but that probably wasn’t too big a loss.

Cameron Diaz facts Flickr, Sharon Graphics

26. Bestselling Author

Diaz is quite a health nut and loves to share her passion. She has authored two published health books, New York Times Bestseller The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand and Love Your Amazing Body (2013) and The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time (2016).

Cameron Diaz facts Shutterstock

27. Embracing Aging

Diaz is a promoter of aging naturally, as her books suggest. After trying a small amount of Botox, Diaz did not like the “weird way” it changed her face and decided her natural aging look was much more desirable.

Cameron Diaz factsShutterstock

28. Female Inspiration

Diaz is inspired in her effort to age naturally and gracefully by fellow actress Helen Mirren. She has described Mirren as “very sexy” and a great example of a woman who is “taking care of herself".

David Lynch films factsFlickr, WEBN-TV

29. Musical Muse

Although she famously doesn’t sing well (see My Best Friend’s Wedding for proof) Diaz has actually inspired lyrics for pop songs. She is mentioned in Robbie Williams' “I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen” as well as the Brian Wilson song “South America".

Vanessa Hudgens factsFlickr, vagueonthehow

30. Inner Strength

Diaz is dedicated to her practice of Transcendental Meditation, a meditation technique that involves repeating a personal mantra to oneself with eyes closed for 15-20 minutes. Diaz claims the tool allows her to go "to the deepest part” of herself to enable “recharging” and empowerment.

Cameron Diaz facts Shutterstock

31. Trouble Focusing

Diaz is public about her attention deficit disorder (ADD), which she names as one reason she isn’t interested in taking on a directing or producing role in movies. She is happier to put in her time as an actress and move on to a new project.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

32. Designer in Disguise

Despite not being interested in directing or producing a film, Diaz has explored some of the other roles in movie making. During her work on the Charlie’s Angels franchise, Diaz collaborated with costume designer Joseph Aulisi to create many of the amazing costumes worn by the women. This included the outfit she wore during her goofy dance scene to the famous song “Baby Got Back".

Cameron Diaz facts Charlie

33. Environmental Activist

Diaz is dedicated to environmental activism. She took part in the MTV show Trippin', which highlighted endangered natural habitats worldwide and advised how to conserve them. In 2009, she drove around the United States in her hybrid car on a campaign with Marie Claire magazine; during the trip, she asked people where their water came from in order to promote responsible use of natural resources.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

34. Feminist Friends

Diaz marched alongside friends Adele and Jennifer Lawrence at the 2018 Anniversary of the Women’s March in LA. Adele posted a picture on Instagram of the three of them holding signs and participating in the march, signing off with “power to the people". Hunger GamesShutterstock

35. A Good Friend

After filming Charlie's Angels together, Drew Barrymore and Diaz became life-long best friends. Diaz was Barrymore’s maid of honor and also the friend Barrymore called when her marriage broke up. Barrymore has said that Diaz is a fiercely loyal friend.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

36. Runs in the Family

Diaz’s father, Emilio Diaz, had a small cameo role in her movie There’s Something about Mary as “Jailbird".

Cameron Diaz facts There

37. In Demand

In 2002, Diaz was one of the first female actors to make a historic $20 million for a film—second only to Julia Roberts. It was for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

Julia Roberts FactsShutterstock

38. Not to Be Messed With: 1999

When traveling through Los Angeles International Airport in 1999, Diaz reported her passport and a large amount of money missing from her luggage. The authorities luckily caught the security guard (yes, the security guard) who had tried to take her things.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

39. Not to Be Messed With: 2003

In 2003, Diaz was approached by John Rutter, with whom she had done a undressed photoshoot and video with when she was 19. The creepy Rutter offered her the chance to buy back the photos, which he was otherwise threatening to publish. Rutter asked for $3.5 million in exchange for keeping the photos private. Diaz wasn’t having it and sued him for attempted blackmail. In 2005, Rutter was sentenced to lockup.

Cameron Diaz facts Getty Images

40. Not to Be Messed With: 2005

In 2005, Diaz again faced down the media, this time the National Enquirer. The tabloid ran a story suggesting that Diaz, who was dating Justin Timberlake at the time, was having an affair with her producer, Shane Nickerson. Diaz sued the media company and received a retraction and apology.

Club 815 V St, NW Justin Timberlake performing on stage.Getty Images

41. Old Friends

Snoop Dog went to high school with Cameron Diaz, and he remembers her as being pretty cool: “She ran with my homegirls, all my little cheerleading homegirls. She was fly and she was hip". According to Diaz, Snoop Dog hasn’t changed much since high school, she recalled him as being “very tall and skinny” with “lots of ponytails". Diaz also admitted that it was more than likely that she purchased weed from the high school Doggie Dog.

Worst Concerts Ever factsWikimedia Commons

42. Famous Beaus

Diaz has dated some big-name celebrities, including Justin Timberlake, Matt Dillon, video producer Carlos De La Torre, Jared Leto and Alex Rodriguez. Not surprisingly, the super-sweet star has remained friends with some of her exes, including Timberlake, with whom she made the film Bad Teacher in 2011. The two have remained on good terms ever since their break up years ago.

Cameron Diaz factsGetty Images

43. Sexy and Proud

Diaz is known for being sexy, but she also encourages everyone to embrace their sensual side. She advises against faking anything and says “sexy is being in the moment, whether that means being coy or coming on hard. Faking is always lame". Diaz is also open about watching adult movies and says she loves to order adult movies when she stays in hotels.

Cameron Diaz factsShutterstock

Sources:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21


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