A tall, strikingly attractive blue-eyed bottle blonde, Cameron Diaz was born in 1972 in San Diego. She is the daughter of Billie (Anglo-German) and 'Emilio Diaz (I)' (qv) (Cuban-American). Self described as "adventurous, independent and a tough kid," Cameron left home at 16 and for the next 5 years lived in such varied locales as Japan, Australia, Mexico, Morocco, and Paris. Returning to California at the age of 21, she was working as a model when her agency secured her an audition for the female lead in _The Mask (1994)_ (qv). Despite having no previous acting experience, she made a strong impression and was cast as the sultry lounge singer, "Tina Carlyle". The film was one of 1994's biggest hits and launched her into stardom virtually overnight. However, she preferred to feel her way effectively into the industry and stayed away from large studio films for the next three years. She honed her acting skills in such character-driven independent films as _The Last Supper (1995/I)_ (qv); _Feeling Minnesota (1996)_ (qv); and _Head Above Water (1996)_ (qv). She stepped back into the mainstream in 1997 with _My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)_ (qv) and _A Life Less Ordinary (1997)_ (qv). The following year, her status as a super star was firmly cemented when she played the title role in the box office smash _There's Something About Mary (1998)_ (qv). 'Cameron Diaz' (qv) is now one of filmdom's hottest properties and most sought-after actresses.
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Cameron Diaz
- There were times when I'd go, "This outfit would look so badass with stilettos". You wanted those four-inch heels, those wrappy, strappy, show-off-your-pedicure shoes, but you couldn't do it. At the beginning of the scene it would have been fine because I'm just hanging out with the dude. But the next thing you know, you're kicking the dude's rear, so you had to make sure you had the right shoes on.
- I didn't realize it [_The Mask (1994)_ (qv)] was a fairly large film that I was a part of. Halfway through I was going, "Is there any place that my mom and dad can see this film?" and they're going, "Cameron, at the theaters". I had no idea. Durrrrrrr. I'm blonde. I'm allowed.
- One thing I realized from Julia ['Julia Roberts (I)' (qv), her _My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)_ (qv) co-star]--which I knew before, but was made very clear--is that when you're the star of the film, the crew looks to you to set the tone of everyday work. So when you come into work, whatever it is that you're giving off, that is what the tone is going to be for the working conditions.
- On _Being John Malkovich (1999)_ (qv): "It's been said that in Hollywood there are only 14 different scripts. Well, this is number 15."
- Your regrets aren't what you did, but what you didn't do. So I take every opportunity.
- I grew up with a lot of boys. I probably have a lot of testosterone for a woman.
- Growing up, I was the plain one. I had no style. I was the tough kid with the comb in the back pocket and the feathered hair.
- I would kiss a frog even if there were no promise of a Prince Charming popping out of it. I love frogs. I'd lick him.
- We have a voice now and we're not using it. Women have so much to lose. I mean, we could lose the right to our bodies. If you think rape should be legal then don't vote. But if you think you have a right to your body and you have a right to say what happens to you and fight off that danger of losing that, then you should vote.
- My Latin roots are very strong. All my life, because I'm blonde and blue-eyed, people who aren't Hispanic can't believe I am. And people who are Hispanic always think I'm not, because I don't look like them. Being Latin is part of who I am and I bring that part to every role.
- "What we women need to do, instead of worrying about what we don't have, is just love what we do have." quoted Women's World (6-14-05)
- Toronto has such a nice balance as far as the films they show there. They kind of give an opportunity to everybody. You get the best of the best there. It's a good standard to be held up against, and it's very flattering to be in that festival.
- I'm like every other woman: a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear: So I wear jeans. quoted in Woman's World 1-3-06.
- I go, 'God, you know, it all sounds so familiar. I know what you're saying, I really do. I just cannot respond to you back in Spanish. I can barely speak English properly.' I didn't grow up in a Cuban or Latin community. I grew up in Southern California on the beach, basically. And I'm third generation. I'm of Cuban descent, but I'm American. - when asked if she can speak Spanish.
- The last couple of years were hell. Like, I can't even tell you, it was so hard. I didn't know how to handle it. But I think I'm in a much better place now, because I stepped away for a second and took a breath. Hollywood is a funny place. It offers so much, but it can also take a lot away from you.
- I'm not 25 years old anymore, nor do I want to be. I wouldn't even want to go back to being 30. You know what I mean? That journey, I've done it already. I don't want to do it again. It's a lot of work to get through it, and I am excited about moving forward. I think that people get caught up in getting back to some place that they already passed or to a place where you cannot stay.
- Men are wonderful. I don't think my feeling about that is ever going to change. I'm never going to feel differently about men. I'm not a man-hater. It's just not in my nature. I think guys are amazing. I love the dichotomy, the differences in men and women. I think it's wonderful. It keeps things interesting. We can't walk in each other's shoes. We don't know what it's really like, but we certainly can make an effort to know each other a little bit better.
- My father's death will be a part of me forever, and I'm sure it's going to be a part of all of the roles that I play now. It's been a year since he died, and it's been an incredibly transformative year. It's just something that's going to be with me forever.
- We all fall in love with our parents.
- What's changed from 10 years ago is that now I want a man who knows who he is. Someone who understands himself, has already dealt with his issues and who can say: "I see where I've been foolish before and I'm not going to be like that again."
- It will be cool to be under people's feet. It really is the place where people can understand exactly that actors are not really stars -- they don't exist in the sky, they exist on the ground just like everybody else. - on getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- You know what terrifies me? Trailers to horror movies! I kind of want to look, but I'm always afraid that I'm going to look too long and see the one image that I'm not going to be able to get out of my head for at least a week every night before I'm going to bed.
- Women have always behaved badly. I think probably worse than men.Maybe men just don't have the stomach for it. They don't want to see it on film because they just can't take it. Any of my guy friends, when I tell them what women really talk about, they just don't want to hear it. But maybe it's time.
- [on playing "Elizabeth Halsey", the title role in _Bad Teacher (2011)_ (qv)]: Obviously if I thought I could get somewhere with bigger boobies I would have done it by now. But for her, it's everything. It's called hard economic times. You can't find a millionaire like you could three or four years ago. It's an investment.
- I'd rather have my heart broken a thousand times than never to love at all.
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