Cameron Diaz shared how embracing motherhood brought a shift in her life and career after a decade-long hiatus.

After stepping away from Hollywood, The Holiday star got married to Benji Madden, with whom she shares five-year-old daughter, Raddix, and 10-month-old son, Cardinal.

During an exclusive interview with the E! News, The Mask actress, who marked her comeback with her new Netflix action film Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx, explained why she put her career on hold for so long.

“You’re a different person after you have children, after marriage, after building a life,” the 52-year-old artist told the outlet.

Reflecting on her life as a mother, she said, “So me, I never made a movie before with family.” 

She added, “So all of the boxes change that need to be checked off, having taken 10 years and live a life that I wasn’t when I was an actor.”

She emphasised that her family is now a top priority and “then everything else has to line up to support that.”

“There’s a lot more happening in my world that allows me [to have] a different perspective on life,” she revealed to the outlet.

Elsewhere in the interview, she admitted that it a lot of persuasion from her co-star Foxx before she agreed to join the film.

Diaz said that she only decided to make her comeback “because I know what I’m getting into with [Jamie] as a partner: His talent, his professionalism.”

The film, Back in Action, was released on January 17, 2025 and is available on the streaming platform.