CAMERON DIAZ 'IT HAS TO BE RIGHT FOR MY FAMILY'

AFTER A DECADE OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT, THE STAR SPILLS ALL

- Jennie Noonan

After taking a decade-long hiatus from making movies, Cameron Diaz is back with a vengeance, co-starring with Jamie Foxx in the Netflix flick Back in Action (streaming now). “Going back to work is like riding a bike, it’s just something I know how to do,” she told brother-in-law Joel Madden, 45, on a recent episode of his Artist Friendly podcast, adding that while she’s primed professionally, things have changed significantly for her personally. “Making movies as a mother and a wife is completely different. My energy now when I’m on set, it’s not just about me. I’m a mum first.”

Diaz, 52, first decided to focus on her personal life after her last movie, Annie, hit theatres in 2014, following a successful career spanning 20 years. Just before stepping away, she ran into her future husband’s brother, Good Charlotte rocker Joel, and his wife Nicole Richie when she was staying at pal Gwyneth Paltrow’s home in London.

“I was like, you know who Benji would be great for? Cameron!” Joel teased on his podcast. “Nicole was like, ‘Joel!’ She was all embarrassed. She was like, ‘Joel! Stop it!’”