Stop calling it ‘retired’: Cameron Diaz still hits

While the world ponders whether Cameron Diaz has officially “retired from showbiz” (apparently Selma Blair claims it was only a joke), we’re left wondering what it is people love about her. Don’t get us wrong – she has done some good in the industry, like that lift scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, or pretty much everything about Very Bad Things. Vanilla Sky, also good. But for all the good, there’s two lots of crap, vacuous, romcom nightmares where comedy goes to die and storylines wither in pain, particularly in the latter half of her career. Let’s take a look back at some of Diaz’s worst roles to remind ourselves that perhaps it’s not such a bad thing she’s considering retirement.

Back in Action Comeback

After a decade away, Cameron Diaz returned in the January 2025 Netflix action-comedy Back in Action, playing a retired spy pulled back into the field. The project, directed by Seth Gordon and co-starring Jamie Foxx, mirrors her real-life reentry more than it erases the earlier critique of her choices. The film arrived with the same breezy tone that defined her most commercial work, and early reactions noted the familiar mix of charm and formula. Whether this signals a longer second act remains unclear, since Diaz has said she still reserves the right to say yes or no to future offers.

Shrek 5 Voice Return

Diaz is set to reprise Princess Fiona in Shrek 5, scheduled for 2027. The return keeps her tied to the franchise that once drew criticism for thin material even in voice work. Franchise continuity offers steady work and a built-in audience, yet the original complaints about the series leaning on easy family appeal still apply. Listeners will decide whether another outing adds anything new or simply recycles the same register that grated in Shrek the Third.

Outcome and Apple TV+ Project

Outcome, a 2026 Apple Original dark comedy also featuring Keanu Reeves, Jonah Hill, and Martin Scorsese as producer, marks a shift toward ensemble and more dramatic territory. Filming began in 2024 with a trailer arriving the following year. The project sits outside the romcom lane that drew the sharpest barbs in Diaz’s earlier output, offering a different test of range. It remains to be seen whether the material gives her space to move past the repetitive character beats that defined so many of the later studio comedies.

Stephen Merchant Rom-Com

An untitled romantic comedy written and directed by Stephen Merchant began filming in early 2026. The project places Diaz back in the genre that supplied many of the films listed below. Merchant’s involvement suggests a sharper script than the paint-by-numbers entries that once prompted eye-rolls, but the risk of falling into the same troubled-ditzy-chick template lingers. Audiences will watch to see whether the writing lifts the premise or simply repackages the old formula under new credits.

Bad Day Netflix Comedy

Another Netflix title, Bad Day, directed by Jake Szymanski, centers on a single mom and her daughter and remains in post-production as of mid-2026. The story leans into family-centric comedy with action elements, echoing the tone of Back in Action. The premise keeps Diaz in familiar territory of relatable chaos and quick quips, raising the question of whether the post-hiatus slate will diversify or simply extend the patterns that once fueled the retirement conversation.

Bad Teacher

Those who can’t do, teach. And those who can’t act, do romcoms. Case in point: Diaz plays yet another troubled ditsy chick who finds love on her path to destruction. Yawn! As the great Ebert once said, “Its bad person is neither bad enough or likable enough.”

Shrek the Third

Okay, so Diaz might’ve only been the voiceover for Princess Fiona, but it still makes us wonder how it’s possible to fit so many fingernails on a chalkboard. Also, a third Shrek? We know kids are an easy sell, but come on! Her confirmed return for Shrek 5 keeps the same voice in circulation, scheduled for 2027.

What Happens in Vegas

What happened in Vegas definitely should’ve stayed in Vegas. This film featured unprecedented levels of annoyance thanks to the additional presence of Ashton Kutcher. And Diaz’s character? A troubled ditzy chick – starting to see a pattern here.

In Her Shoes

Don’t be fooled by the presence of Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine) – this film is nothing more than a romcom in disguise, following a pair of chalk & cheese sisters as they navigate their way through love & life while trying to break out of their cliched stereotypes – the workaholic, “unattractive” one, and the (you guessed it) ditsy troubled chick.

Knight and Day

As is the case in What Happens in Vegas, the irritation derived from Diaz’s lacklustre performance is overridden by the sheer presence of Tom Cruise (Top Gun). Watching the pair of them try to navigate their way through a spy narrative is almost as excruciating as watching Cruise’s nonsensical Scientology rant.

The Holiday

In The Holiday, Diaz gets to play the troubled ditsy chick in the snow! Amazing, right? In this romcom about Brits & Americans falling in love, Diaz, Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Jack Black (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), and Kate Winslet (Wonder Wheel) all take part in an accidental wife swap after two women with guy-problems switch homes.

Charlie’s Angels

In this bottom of the barrel reboot, the beaming and hyperactive face of Diaz plays one of the infamous crime-busting Charlie’s Angels. The fact her “dance scene” is considered her best bit in the entire feature length film speaks volumes about her acting skills.

The Sweetest Thing

Guess what, folks. Diaz plays a troubled ditsy chick. Who would’ve thought? Yes, in this 2002 flick her character Christina is a woman who jumps from relationship to relationship out of fear of commitment. But this is a romcom, so as you’d predict Mr. Right shows up and yada, yada, commitment goes out the window, yada, yada, happily ever after.

Sex Tape

In this clickbait mess of a film, Diaz desperately tries to convey any sort of emotion but her acting skills just won’t let her. The movie’s premise is about as inspirational as Diaz’s performance, telling the story of a couple whose sex tape leaks. It’s simply not possible to push the bar any lower. The film arrived in 2014, among her final on-screen roles before the decade-long break that followed Annie later that year.

The return slate shows Diaz testing different registers while still circling back to the comedy lanes that once prompted the retirement talk. Back in Action and Bad Day keep the action-comedy lane warm, Shrek 5 preserves franchise voice work, and the Stephen Merchant project circles the romcom genre again. Outcome offers the clearest departure into darker ensemble territory. The pattern suggests the post-hiatus chapter may mix fresh attempts with familiar beats, leaving the original critique of those earlier romcoms intact even as the career timeline extends.