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8 Years After Her Last Acting Role, Cameron Diaz Has ‘Un-Retired' — Here's What She's Been Up to

Sebastian Kahnert | Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Cameron Diaz is the latest to join the "unretirement" trend, which has recently become popular among both celebrities and the labor force overall.

Eight years since her last acting role, Diaz, 49, is coming out of her acting retirement to return to the big screen, thanks to the help of fellow actor and entertainer Jamie Foxx. The pair starred together in the 2014 film "Annie," which was Diaz's last role before leaving the spotlight.

Diaz and Foxx are set to star in a new Netflix original film called "Back In Action," with production to start later this year.

Unretiring, or taking up new jobs after retiring from the workforce, is a trend lots of people are following, both to take advantage of a hot labor market and also hedge looming recession concerns. Others may be rediscovering a sense of meaning and purpose by getting back into work.

For Diaz, the decision to return to acting comes after spending years pursuing other projects, including writing a follow-up to her New York Times bestseller and helping launch a wine company.

Diaz released "The Longevity Book" in 2016 as a follow-up to her first, "The Body Book," released in 2013. While both serve as guides to living happier lives, Diaz's second book directly addresses ageism in today's health, beauty and workplace standards. Ageism is also extremely prevalent in Hollywood, sparking Diaz to start a "new conversation about aging, and how to do it with strength, grace, health, and wisdom," she wrote on Instagram when it launched.

Four years later, in 2020, Diaz created and co-founded Avaline, a "clean wine brand," with Katherine Power, CEO of Merit, a beauty brand, and Versed, a skincare company. Diaz says the idea for Avaline started from a conversation she and Power had in her backyard in 2018.

"We realized that we knew the contents of everything that went onto and into our bodies — why not wine," she said in an Instagram post. Diaz has "always believed that the key to wellness is balance," and launched the wine brand with that same philosophy in mind.

The "Charlie's Angels" actress also became a mom in 2019, after the birth of her now 2-year-old daughter, Raddix.

On Wednesday, Foxx welcomed Diaz back to Hollywood with some pointers from fellow un-retiree, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

"Cameron, I hope you aren't mad I recorded this, but no turning back now," Foxx wrote on Twitter, accompanied by an audio snippet of his phone call with Diaz and Brady. "Had to call in the GOAT to bring back another GOAT. @CameronDiaz and I are BACK IN ACTION - our new movie with @NetflixFilm. Production starting later this year!!"

Ready to take on acting again, Diaz expressed her excitement to get back in the swing of things. 

"[Jamie Foxx] only you could get me back in action," she said in an Instagram story. "I can't frickin wait. It's gonna be a blast!"

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