Cameron Diaz opens up to Gwyneth Paltrow on why she stopped making films
Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow. Image: AFP/Ben Stansall, Instagram/@gwynethpaltrow
Hollywood stars Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow had a heart-to-heart talk where the former explained why she retired from her acting career to focus on her personal life and relationships.
Diaz, who is one of Paltrow’s “best friends in the entire universe,” was a guest on the “Iron Man” star’s virtual health session organized by Paltrow’s health and wellness company Goop, as seen on its YouTube channel today, Aug. 6.
Talking about their lives at the age of 40 and beyond, the actresses discussed how Diaz made some big changes in her life by “starting over” after she reached that big four-zero milestone.
“I just decided that I wanted different things out of my life,” Diaz said. “I’ve gone so hard for so long, working, making films and it’s such a grind… I didn’t really make a space for my personal life.”
Soon after leaving Hollywood, Diaz met her husband, Good Charlotte frontman Benji Madden, whom she married in 2015.
“We got married pretty much immediately because we both knew that we had to do it,” she said.
The actress admitted that they had to “iron out” certain issues at the start of their marriage. Despite the challenges, Diaz confirmed to Paltrow that her partner showed his commitment to work things outs.
Paltrow also asked Diaz what it felt like to “walk away from a movie career of that magnitude, that much success,” while acknowledging that she could probably get back to making films anytime.
“A peace, I got a peace in my soul,” Diaz answered. “Because I finally was taking care of myself.”
Diaz said that she felt more “grounded” after being away from the limelight as she disclosed some of the difficulties of being a public figure.
“It’s so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there,” Diaz explained. “There’s a lot of energy coming at you at all times when you’re really visible as an actor and doing you know, press and putting yourself out there.”
She admitted getting overwhelmed by all the attention directed towards her. The 47-year-old actress also discussed how time-consuming making a film was to the point that it could leave no room for actors to nurture their personal relationships.
“When you’re making a movie, it’s the perfect excuse — they own you,” Diaz declared. “You’re there 12 hours a day, for months on end. You have no time for anything else.”
“I realized I handed off parts of my life to all these other people and… I had to basically take it back and take responsibility for my own life,” she added.
During her time away as an actress, Diaz set out to repair, develop, build and even let go of some of her relationships with others. She then tried to figure out how to be “self-sufficient again” after being pampered as a movie star, which she said she never became comfortable with.
The two likewise discussed Diaz’s wine venture, their journey to motherhood, as well as how they want to raise their daughters. Diaz has one daughter with Madden, while Paltrow has two kids with her former husband, Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin.
Paltrow and Diaz’s video conference for “In Goop Health: The Sessions” is a fundraiser for civil rights organization National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Diaz’s last appearance on the big screen was for the 2014 film adaptation of the musical “Annie”. NVG
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