Cameron Diaz

Today, Cameron Diaz is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Arriving to the movie business with a rare combination of poise and talent, Diaz first made a sexy splash in the 1994 Jim Carrey film The Mask, which forced her to keep up with the film’s complicated, digitally altered sequences, as well as her elastic costar Jim Carrey. Cameron Diaz’s charisma and underlying sweetness made her a memorable presence in the film and had many fans wondering where they’d seen her before. After this unusually confident and successful debut, Cameron Diaz went on to several prominent roles in the next few years.

Whether playing a starring role in black comedies such as 1995’s The Last Supper, going head to head with Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding or picking up bit parts in such counterculture films as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Cameron Diaz didn’t waste any time establishing herself as a versatile actress capable of brightening the dailies of any film. In 1998 she starred in There’s Something About Mary, directed by the Farrelly brothers. The film set a new standard in gross-out comedy, bringing hilarious and disgusting sight gags, plot twists and clever dialogue together for what would prove to a be a highly influential comedy formula.

The following year Cameron Diaz picked up a role as a frumpy housewife obsessed with pets in the mind-bending film Being John Malkovich. She continued playing interesting parts in films such as Any Given Sunday and Vanilla Sky, along with more forgettable roles in various romantic comedies. But in recent years she has become strongly connected to her Charlie’s Angels role—and experienced a slump following the release of the Charlie’s Angels sequel. But she also voices Princess Fiona in the popular Shrek franchise, collection $10 million a picture. She earned double that in the second Charlie’s Angels film, making her one of the highest paid women in Hollywood.

Cameron Diaz was born August 30, 1972, and spent the better part of her childhood on the beach in southern California. She is an avid surfer, and with her parents’ blessing left home at the age of sixteen to travel around the world as a model—a decision she likely owes her photogenic charisma to, as well as a great deal of experience to draw on for her acting roles.