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Cameron Diaz is making her big return to acting after 11 years with Netflix’sBack in Action, dropping on January 17. Diaz has built a career that’s tough to ignore—her films have pulled in over $3 billion worldwide. Sure, not every movie has been a hit, but that’s part of what makes her career so interesting—she’s always kept us guessing.
From her breakout inThe Maskto voicing the feisty Princess Fiona inShrek, Diaz has proved she can hold her own in any genre. But like any actor with a long career, her filmography is a mix of wins and letdowns. Let’s look into her box office journey, and balance the hits against the flops that fell short of expectations.
The Mask, the Orgre, and the Money
The MaskbroughtCameron Diazto the big screen for the first time as Tina Carlyle, the sultry chanteuse caught between Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), a hapless bank clerk turned zany anti-hero, and her slimy boss, Dorian Tyrel. Diaz’s flirtatious charm and chemistry with Carrey anchor the film’s energy, especially in their dance at the Coco Bongo Club—a moment of movie magic.The Maskwas also Diaz’s breakout performance, coupled with the film’s $351,583,407 box officecollection, ensured audiences that they would be seeing much more of her.
We have all come to accept thatShrekis brilliantly funny, and in it, Cameron Diaz shines as Princess Fiona. She doesn’t play your everyday princess, she’s strong, independent, and full of surprises. Diaz’s voice work captures the complexity of a character who’s more than just a love interest. The story takes Shrek and Donkey on a mission to rescue Fiona – Diaz brings Fiona to life in a way that elevates the film beyond its fairy tale sensibilities. The originalShrekgrossed $488 millionworldwide, and by now has been meme-ed beyond comprehension.
A few years laterShrek 2was released, a lively sequel that, while not as groundbreaking as the original, still entertained. Fiona wasn’t a princess in this outing (quite literally), but a fully embraced ogre with her new husband, Shrek. The story explored Shrek meeting Fiona’s in-laws, King Harold and Queen Lillian. She, meanwhile, also faced the scheming Fairy Godmother (a wonderfully sinister Jennifer Saunders) and her son, Prince Charming, who was supposed to marry Fiona.
ThoughShrek 2doesn’t pack the same punch as its predecessor, Diaz makes Fiona relatable still. At the box office, however,Shrek 2took things to stratospheric levels, raking in a jaw-dropping $932 millionglobally.
Weddings in Vegas
It’s of little surprise why Cameron Diaz was so big in the rom-com scene in the late ’90s and 2000s. She just had this natural relatable energy that made her impossible for audiences to not love. Two of her big hits,My Best Friend’s WeddingandWhat Happens in Vegas, show how she could bring some heart to the genre.
Real Reason Why Cameron Diaz Is Back in Hollywood After 10 Years Away from Acting
InMy Best Friend’s Wedding,Diaz plays Kimmy Wallace, the sweet, rich, and slightly naive fiancée of Dermot Mulroney’s Michael. She’s up against Julianne, who’s trying every trick in the book to sabotage the wedding. You’d think Kimmy would just be some ditzy obstacle in the plot, but it’s not just that. Diaz makes her so warm and genuine that you can’t help but root for her. Like, what’s not to love about the karaoke scene where she’s completely awful but wins everyone over? By then you’re actually hoping Michael picks Kimmy instead ofJulia Roberts. And clearly, it worked because the film made a whopping $299 millionworldwide.
Then there’sWhat Happens in Vegas, where Diaz plays Joy, this super organized, Type A woman whose life falls apart, and she ends up in Vegas getting drunk-married to Ashton Kutcher’s Jack. If this seems too much of a classic setup to you, there’s more. Jack wins $3 million after their wedding, and the two of them have to fake being married to split the money. Diaz is hilarious here—she and Kutcher have this great bickering chemistry that makes their whole love-hate dynamic rather much fun to watch.
Sure, the plot is over-the-top (it’s a rom-com, after all), but Diaz keeps it grounded. The supporting cast—like Rob Corddry and Lake Bell—adds to the laughs, but Diaz is the glue that holds the whole thing together. It’s no wonder this worked at the box office,raking in$219 Million worldwide.
Angels in Action and the Lunar Cycle
Cameron Diaz going from rom-com sweetheart to action star?Charlie’s Angelswas where she really stepped into the action-comedy genre. In the first movie, she played Natalie, one of three private investigators who could take down bad guys while looking flawless (yeah). Sure, the plot wasn’t exactly deep, but that didn’t matter because it was such a good time. The moviemade$264 million, so clearly, audiences were all in for the ride.
Then cameCharlie’s Angels: Full Throttlein 2003, where everything got even crazier—bigger stunts, wilder outfits, and explosions everywhere. Demi Moore showed up as a super-glamorous villain, which added a little extra spice. Critics weren’t super kind about it (words like“brainless” were thrown around), but honestly, it felt like the movie leaned into being ridiculous on purpose. It stillpulledin $259 million, so even if the critics weren’t feeling it, plenty of fans were.
Cameron teamed up withTom CruiseforKnight and Dayin 2010. She played June, a regular woman who gets dragged into Tom’s world of shootouts, secret agents, and car chases. One minute she’s living her normal life, and the next, she’s on a train, dodging bullets, and wondering how her life turned into an action movie.
The movie made $262 millionglobally, which sounds great until you realize how much they spent making it. Critics were lukewarm—fun but forgettable seemed to be the general takeaway. For many of these films, the plots and the execution could be ridiculous (okay, theywereridiculous).
For every blockbuster, there were missteps that couldn’t be saved by Diaz’s charm. She’s always had this magnetic presence that can carry a movie, but even she couldn’t save some projects that just didn’t land. Let’s look into a few of those
The Box, the Shoes, and the Tape
TakeThe Box(2009), for instance. It had such a cool, out-there premise—Diaz plays a woman who gets this mysterious box that, if she presses the button, she gets a million dollars, but someone she doesn’t know dies. You’d think that setup alone would be enough to draw people in, but the movie just didn’t stick the landing. It started off promising but quickly spiraled into this convoluted mix of sci-fi and philosophy. There were nosebleeds, NASA conspiracies, and moral dilemmas all over the place. Diaz was solid, but the pacing and clarity were such a mess that it barely managed to scrape $33 million atthe box office.
Then she steppedIn Her Shoes(2005), which, many thought deserved better. Diaz played Maggie, this reckless, party-loving sister opposite Toni Collette’s uptight, responsible Rose. It wasn’t typical – it had depth and some really beautiful moments. Diaz shines in the emotional scenes, especially when Maggie starts to grow and connect with her estranged grandmother, played by Shirley MacLaine. What went wrong, then?
It just didn’t find its audience. Despite good reviews, it only made $83 millionglobally, which isn’t bad but felt underwhelming for a star like Diaz at the time. Just before her retirement,Sex Tapecame out —a raunchy comedy about a couple trying to retrieve their accidentally leaked sex tape. Diaz andJason Segelseemed like the perfect pairing for a movie like this, but somehow it didn’t click.
The jokes felt forced, and the movie couldn’t decide if it wanted to be outrageous or relatable. Even with a $126 million box officehaul, it felt like a letdown, especially when you compare it to other big comedies from that era.
Oh, and we can’t forgetBad Teacher(2011). Diaz as this inappropriate, money-grubbing teacher sounds like a great idea on paper, but the execution was… off. Her character, Elizabeth, wasn’t bad in a fun or lovable way—she was just kind of mean and hard to get behind. And that infamous dry-humping scene between Diaz and Timberlake? It’s the kind of awkward you wish you could unsee. The movie did okay financially, but it was missing that spark to make it truly memorable.
You’d Be Surprised to Know How Much Cameron Diaz Earned for “Bad Teacher” More Than a Decade Ago
When you, nevertheless, look at Cameron Diaz’s career as a whole, it’s clear her successes far outweigh her missteps. Even her less obvious choices, likeGangs of New York, just sheer range. Playing Jenny Everdeane, she held her own alongside heavyweights like Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio. It was a grittier, more dramatic role than we were used to seeing from her, and while the movie wasn’t universally loved, her performance stood out as a reminder that Diaz wasn’t afraid to step outside her comfort zone.
When all is said and done, Cameron Diaz’s hit-to-flop ratio leans heavily in favor of success. While her career has included films that didn’t quite land, the sheer volume of hits—grossing over $3 billion in total—proves her talent and appeal. Diaz’s ability to adapt to changing trends shows why her name remains synonymous with box office gold, and studios will be hoping that they can finally tap into that once she returns.
Jayant Chhabra
Articles Published :123
Jayant Chhabra is a long-form writer and Creative Producer, who has worked with several renowned publications and production houses. Yet, there’s more to Jayant than meets the word count. You’ll find him cheering for the Red Devils, trying to produce music, or yet again being enamoured by the countless films, essays, and books that he holds close to his heart.
