Cameron Diaz’s career has spanned nearly three decades and with over 50 films under her belt, it’s no wonder why she’s taken the past few years to step back from the spotlight. While many fans thought she’d never return to the big screen, she surprised everyone when she recently announced that she’d be joining Jamie Foxx in his new Netflix film.
“When you’re doing something that you know and you’ve done well and you know how it works and it’s consumed your whole life for so long, it’s kind of a nice thing to kind of go, ‘You know what? Let me just step back for a second, take a look at what the whole picture looks like for me, and what are the things that I could do better and be more engaged with that would make me feel more whole?’ And I did that,” Cameron shared.
With Cameron’s decision to “unretire,” it only makes sense to look back at her best films, as ranked by the critics. From her rom-com classics to her animated favorites, here are all the movies that made the cut…
10. “The Last Supper”
Rating: 62%
In 1995, Cameron starred in “The Last Summer,” a black comedy that follows a group of young liberal grad students who suddenly murder a bigoted, ultra-right-wing dinner guest. But the group doesn’t stop there, and soon they’re poisoning other conservative dinner guests hoping to rid society of its most offensive members.
9. “Charlie’s Angels”
Rating: 68%
In one of Cameron’s most iconic films, she starred as one-third of the elite crime-fighting trio in “Charlie’s Angels.” Cameron and her costars Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu joined forces to bring the ’70s TV series to the big screen and fight off the world’s most notorious criminals. In the franchise’s first flick, the Angels unleashed their state-of-the-art skills on land, sea and air to track down a kidnapped billionaire and keep his top-secret voice-identification software out of the wrong hands.
8. “Gangs of New York”
Rating: 72%
Cameron joined an all-star cast in Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York,” which also featured Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, John C. Reilly, and Liam Neeson. The film follows a young Irish immigrant after he is released from prison and sets off to seek revenge against his father’s killer, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. The only way to do so is by infiltrating his inner circle and, along the way, it becomes a fight for personal survival.
Although Cameron didn’t have the most substantial role in the film, playing a beautiful but morally ambiguous con artist, it did earn her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
7. “My Best Friend’s Wedding”
Rating: 73%
Cameron starred in 1997’s “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” in which she found herself in a love triangle with her co-stars Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney. In the flick, Cameron plays 20-year-old Kimberly, the young fiancé of Michael O’Neal. Things get complicated for the couple when Michael’s childhood best friend Julianne remembers their marriage pact — and realizes that she’s in love with him. Julianne vows to stop the wedding at all costs, even when she’s appointed maid of honor.
6. “In Her Shoes”
Rating: 74%
“In Her Shoes” follows unemployed party girl Maggie after she’s kicked out of her father’s home by her stepmother. With no place to go, she moves in with her lawyer sister, Rose. Unfortunately, Maggie quickly shows that she hasn’t changed her disruptive ways that originally drove a wedge between the sisters. After she finds a way to ruin her sister’s love life, Rose kicks her out too. Maggie then turns to her estranged grandmother and, when she moves in with her in Florida, she ends up learning a thing or two about herself — and her family.
5. “The Mask”
Rating: 80%
“The Mask” marked Cameron’s first big screen appearance, sharing the screen with mega star Jim Carrey. The flick follows timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss whose life changes when he discovers a magical mask containing the spirit of the Norse god Loki. When he puts the mask on, he becomes a completely different person — a supernatural playboy exuding charm and confidence. While he catches the eye of Cameron’s character Tina Carlyle, he also ends up in some hot water when he robs a bank and causes chaos with a junior crime lord.
4. “There’s Something About Mary”
Rating: 83%
Cameron solidified her place as a rom-com star in “There’s Something About Mary,” getting cast opposite comedy giants Ben Stiller and Chris Elliott. In the film, Cameron proves there truly is something about Mary when her would-be high school prom date tracks her down years after he was unable to make their date. With the help of an investigator, he learns everything he can about her to trick her into dating him — and ends up having to weave through a web of lies and numerous other suitors in order to get to her.
3. “Shrek”
Rating: 88%
One of Cameron’s most popular films ended up being one where she was playing an animated character! In the massively popular DreamWorks flick “Shrek,” Cameron voiced Princess Fiona, joining in on the misadventures of a hideous ogre in a far away swamp. The beloved movie follows Shrek as his swamp is invaded by annoying fairy tale characters who were banished from their kingdom by Lord Farquaad. In an effort to save both his home and theirs, Shrek makes a deal with the evil ruler and sets out to rescue Princess Fiona to be Farquaad’s bride. The film earned the first Best Animated Feature Academy Award and made nearly $485 million worldwide.
2. “Shrek 2”
Rating: 89%
The second installment of the “Shrek” franchise fared even better than the first, with the sequel taking the recently-married Shrek and Fiona to the kingdom of Far Far Away to meet Fiona’s human parents. The royal couple is horrified to see their daughter hasn’t married Prince Charming and has instead adopted the ogre lifestyle with Shrek. When Prince Charming’s mother, Fairy Godmother, discovers the two aren’t married, she demands that things be rectified, igniting a battle for Fiona’s love.
1. “Being John Malkovich”
Rating: 94%
“Being John Malkovich” may be Cameron’s most unique film, following the life of miserable puppeteer Craig Schwartz who discovers a magical portal into the mind of renowned actor John Malkovich. It throws his life into total turmoil. After only sharing his secret with his attractive coworker Maxine, the pair develop an unusual business scheme and an odd relationship involving Craig’s wife.
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