Cameron Diaz is 54 years old as of October 2026; she was born on August 30, 1972. She has been married to musician Benji Madden since 2015.

Before Cameron Diaz received her breakthrough movie role, which turned her into one of the most popular movie stars of the 1990s and early 2000s, she used her appearance to build a career as a fashion model. She was born in San Diego, California; it is quite far from the center of the US movie industry. However, she succeeded in starting her modeling career in her teenage years; thus, this was her first step to becoming a movie star.

Early life and modeling career

It should be admitted that Cameron Diaz's beginnings were particularly unusual for an actress – she succeeded in fashion rather than in the theater industry. She got her first modeling opportunities in her early teens; at 16, she joined the international modeling company, Elite Model Management. One should note that she should have been very self-confident to become a model; however, her experience in the fashion sphere helped her prepare for her future movie career. Most actresses try acting in theater before they become movie stars; however, Cameron Diaz went straight from modeling to starring in movies.

Breakout movie years

However, the movie role that made Cameron Diaz truly famous was released in 1994. The Mask was not only Cameron Diaz's first movie; it was also the role that made her famous; in this movie, she acted as Tina Carlyle, the main female character opposite Jim Carrey. She was able to prove her abilities as a serious actress thanks to movies like My Best Friend's Wedding (where she starred as Kimberly Wallace), There's Something About Mary (where she became one of the leading characters), Charlie's Angels (2000).

Some of her most famous movies are:

  • The Mask (1994), where she acted as Tina Carlyle
  • My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), where she played Kimberly Wallace
  • There's Something About Mary (1998), where she acted as Mary Jensen
  • Charlie's Angels (2000)
  • Shrek (2001, voice)
  • Gangs of New York (2002)
  • Bad Teacher (2011)
  • Annie (2014)

It should be admitted that Cameron Diaz starred in a lot of different movies, ranging from action movies and comedies to dramas and cartoons. Also, it seems that she could successfully play both solo roles and lead roles in ensemble films. Through these movies, she proved to be not only a movie star, but also an actress capable of performing different roles and adapting to the conditions of filmmaking.

Marriage and later years

During these years, Cameron Diaz's personal life became more private, and she married musician Benji Madden (from the band Good Charlotte). While most celebrities like talking about every aspect of their personal lives, Cameron Diaz decided to live a rather quiet family life. During these years, she also started writing books; her bestsellers The Body Book (2013) and The Longevity Book (2016) are dedicated to improving one's health and longevity, but not her biography or memoirs.

It should be noted that after her break in 2014 (the last movie she shot before this period was Annie), she returned to the movie industry in 2025, starring in Back in Action. This return to movies showed that Cameron Diaz remained a unique actress despite the period when she did not perform in any movies.