Why Did Cameron Diaz 'Retire' From Acting?

If a majority of your favorite movies include Cameron Diaz, you’re not alone.

The actress dominated the film industry throughout the mid-90s and early 2000s and many thought her career would last for years to come.

Cameron Diaz | Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

However, just last year, Diaz dropped the biggest bombshell of them all by announcing her retirement from acting.

While many of us are still pretty upset over the news, others really want to know why Cameron Diaz decided to step out of the spotlight for good?

Diaz hasn’t acted since 2014

If any of us knew that 2014 was going to be the last time we’d see Cameron Diaz showcasing her acting chops, we probably wouldn’t have been as upset over the news of her retirement as we were.

The last time the actress was seen on the big screen was when she starred as Ms. Hannigan in the 2014 remake of Annie.

After that, Cameron Diaz decided to give herself a break from the industry and is extremely happy she did so.

On August 6, Diaz gave a very rare interview for InStyle’s 25th anniversary September issue during which she opened up about her life and shared how being out of the spotlight is entirely intentional.

“I started [experiencing fame] when I was 22, so 25 years ago — that’s a long time,” Diaz told InStyle. “The way I look at it is that I’ve given more than half of my life to the public. I feel it’s OK for me to take time for myself now to reorganize and choose how I want to come [back] into the world. If I decide to. I don’t miss performing.”

Though the actress continues to work on a few things, she loves not having anyone to answer to but herself now that she is no longer part of the entertainment industry.

“It’s fun to just not have anybody know what I’m up to,” she observed. “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 is enjoying her life and doesn’t miss Hollywood in the slightest

While Cameron Diaz has had a ton of success throughout her career, she is the happiest she’s ever been since retiring from acting.

Though Diaz has admitted to having “some things brewing,” the actress will talk about those things on her own time rather than being told when to announce it.

“It’s fun to just not have anybody know what I’m up to. Because my time is all mine,” she shared. “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.”

While the Charlie’s Angels star didn’t share why she decided to leave the entertainment industry behind, she did explain that no longer being part of it really helped for focus on things in her life that are more important.

<img src="http://image109.360doc.com/DownloadImg/2019/10/1620/173349633_1_20191016084106485" alt="Charlie" s="" angels="" 2000'="">Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu | Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

“You know, I think the 40s are the best decade,” Diaz continued. “You just get to be real with yourself, and you can also make necessary changes because you have the experience of looking back on four decades. Looking at patterns and seeing what things really work. You get to let go of giving a sh*t about anything. You’re done! Don’t care. I really don’t. It’s such a relief.”

Along with her marriage to musician Benji Madden, Cameron Diaz is just enjoying every aspect of her life today.

While she is grateful for her career as an actress, Cameron Diaz is also happy that she was able to experience the industry when she did so now, she can live her own life to the fullest.

She concluded her interview by saying, “Overall, I feel lucky that I got to be in the world and explore it when it was a different place. It was a real privilege.”

Though many are sad that Cameron Diaz no longer has an interest in being part of the industry, we couldn’t be happier that the actress is just living her best life.