Cameron Diaz has revealed why she decided to return to acting after a decade long hiatus. 

The Holiday actress, 52, officially retired from Hollywood in 2018 and her last film was Annie in 2014. 

However she has been lured back by her close friend Jamie Foxx to star alongside him in the pair’s latest action comedy. 

Appearing on the upcoming episode of The Graham Norton Show on Friday, Cameron gushed: ‘I am back all thanks to Jamie’ as she admitted she would have been a ‘fool’ not to enter back into the industry. 

The star explained: ‘I had 10 years of not paying attention to anything; not accepting any advances, and then I got this script and thought that maybe it was time. 

‘If I was going to leave my family for 10 hours a day I wanted to do it with the most talented man in the entertainment business.’

Cameron Diaz has revealed she would have been a ‘fool’ not to return to Hollywood as she explains why she is back after decade-long hiatus

The Holiday actress, 52, officially retired from her Hollywood career in 2014, but has been lured back by her close friend Jamie Foxx to star alongside him in the pair’s latest action comedy

Expressing her graтιтude to still work in the industry she added: ‘It is a privilege to make films, and we are all so lucky to do what we do. That the door was even open for me after a decade was amazing. 

‘I loved those 10 years for me and my family, but I thought, “If I let this go away, if I don’t engage again, and if I don’t give it chance, I am a fool.” It might be the beginning of something, but its here now and I am grateful for it.’

Cameron famously walked away from Hollywood in 2018 to spend more time with her rocker husband Benji Madden, 45.

The two welcomed their daughter in December 2019 and have been incredibly private about their lives as parents to their three-year-old.

Cameron and Jamie are starring in Back In Action which is set for release on Netflix on January 17. 

The film follows Emily (Cameron) and Matt (Jamie), two former CIA agents who have given up their life of espionage and action in order to settle down, start a family, and live a normal life.

However, things don’t go so smoothly for them as their idenтιтies become compromised and they are forced to fight and run in order to protect those closest to them. 

Talking about doing her own her stunts in the film, she said: ‘There are so many amazing, dynamic stunts and it was so much fun. After performing so much in the past I think it is like muscle memory – it was as if I had never left.’

Cameron famously walked away from Hollywood in 2018 to spend more time with her rocker husband Benji Madden, 45, who she shares her daughter with 

She said: ‘I loved those 10 years for me and my family, but I thought, “If I let this go away, if I don’t engage again, and if I don’t give it chance, I am a fool.”‘

Expressing her graтιтude to still work in the industry she added: ‘It is a privilege to make films, and we are all so lucky to do what we do. That the door was even open for me after a decade was amazing’

The film follows Emily (Cameron) and Matt (Jamie), two former CIA agents who have given up their life of espionage and action in order to settle down, start a family, and live a normal life

Read More Cameron Diaz makes first red carpet appearance in FIVE YEARS for Netflix’s Back in Action premiere

Jamie then joked: ‘I don’t do stunts – I don’t like to, but I do like to sit and watch others do them and make me look good!’ 

Earlier this week Cameron made a stunning return to the red carpet for the film’s premiere, marking her first major appearance since stepping away from Hollywood almost a decade ago.

Cameron turned heads in a sheer black blouse paired with a sleek black tank top, allowing her natural beauty to take center stage. 

She accessorized with high-waisted jeans and classic penny loafers, while a long black trench coat with a subtle iridescent sheen added an air of sophistication and drama to her look.

Though she’s kept a low profile, Cameron made a splash in 2019 when she joined Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore to celebrate Lucy Liu’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—marking her last red carpet appearance until now. 

The new action comedy, directed by Seth Gordon, 48, serves as a comeback for both Jamie and Cameron as Jamie suffered a stroke in 2023 and Cameron quit acting for family reasons in 2014. 

But her comeback project was thrown into turmoil in 2023 when it was reported that Jamie ‘had an absolute meltdown’ on the UK set of the movie, which led to the firing of three people. 

Earlier this week Cameron made a stunning return to the red carpet for the film’s premiere, marking her first major appearance since stepping away from Hollywood almost a decade ago  

Though she’s kept a low profile, Cameron made a splash in 2019 when she joined Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore to celebrate Lucy Liu ’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—marking her last red carpet appearance until now

And in March 2023, a source close to the star revealed that – while Cameron didn’t have any issues with Jamie – she likely won’t return to the world of film after this movie, because she’s had a hard time being away from her family and hates the ‘drama and confrontation’ that so often erupts on movie sets. 

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com the source said: ‘These back-to-back 10-hour workdays have been a lot on her and she hates being away from Raddix.’ 

They added: ‘Cameron loves being a mom more than anything in the world.’ 

‘She hates drama and confrontation. This is why she retired from the business in the first place,’

‘She has already proven herself in the industry and has nothing left to prove to anyone.’

The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 17th January 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.