Now officially retired (at least for the time being), it seems fair enough to say that Cameron Diaz’s career is quite an enigmatic one. With a wide variety of roles stretching from comedy to drama to animation, Diaz seems to be most remembered for her roles in a handful of less-than-perfect romantic comedies instead of for her more impressive dramatic roles. It might be easy to dismiss her simply because of her flops, but it’s certainly not fair. Diaz proved herself time and time again to be a valuable player. As a matter of fact, Diaz’s filmography is incredibly fascinating to look at in hindsight. She’s gotten to work with plenty of Hollywood’s top filmmakers, she’s gotten to act in all kinds of different roles, and she’ll undoubtedly be immortalized in a few of the 20th and 21st century’s best films. Regardless of whether Cameron Diaz ever returns to acting or not, her filmography will remain full of sturdy and impressive films.
Being John Malkovich
Cameron Diaz’s best performance can be found within the confines of Being John Malkovich, the first collaboration between two of the most creative voices in filmmaking, Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman. The movie blew the minds of critics and audiences when it was released in 1999, and Diaz is an integral part of the one-of-a-kind, award-winning stream of consciousness. She plays Lotte, girlfriend to John Cusack’s character Craig, and eventual cohabitator of John Malkovich’s head.
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Shrek
Pay no mind to the fact that this movie has gotten the meme treatment as of late — Shrek changed the face of computer animation when it was released, and Cameron Diaz’s voice is as iconic as the part-princess, part-ogre that she plays. Mike Myers might be the face and namesake of the franchise, but there wouldn’t be Shrek without Diaz’s Princess Fiona. The series might’ve dragged on for too long, but that doesn’t change the significance of the first film.
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Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her
Following five loosely connected stories about middle-aged women, Cameron Diaz leads the segment “Love Waits For Kathy” alongside Amy Brenneman and Matt Craven. Her character’s name might be Carol, but Diaz is the key component in “Love Waits For Kathy” — without her, the movie definitely would’ve suffered. It’s an interesting film for an interesting actress.
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Gangs of New York
There’s not much else like Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. Likewise, there’s not much else like playing the female lead in a Martin Scorsese film. Cameron Diaz joins the ranks, right there alongside Margot Robbie, Jodie Foster, and Lorraine Bracco, as one of Scorsese’s most dynamic women. Anyone would be lucky to star in a Scorsese movie alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis, but not many are lucky enough to come out looking as confident as Diaz does here.
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The Holiday
Nancy Meyers movies often make the viewers feel as warm as the scenery they depict, and 2006’s The Holiday is no exception. The film follows two women, both brokenhearted and tired of their day-to-day, who decide to switch houses for the holidays. The catch? One lives in LA, the other in the UK. Diaz plays the fish out of water convincingly, and she really turns on the charm as she starts to fall for Jude Law, epitomizing the role of the boy-next-door.
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The Counselor
While this might’ve been panned upon its release, The Counselor is far from a failure. In fact, it’s all but unforgettable. Diaz plays the role of Malkina in this Ridley Scott-directed Cormac McCarthy adaptation, acting strongly alongside Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem. This is a one-of-a-kind movie, to be sure — but it’s one of Diaz’s most memorable.
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Vanilla Sky
Diaz has appeared in a few Tom Cruise movies, all unique in their own right. Vanilla Sky remains their best collaboration to date, though. Based on the Spanish film Abre Los Ojos (or Open Your Eyes), Vanilla Sky follows Cruise as a selfish and privileged man whose life changes after a brutal car accident. Cameron Diaz is an incredibly important part of the film, and she and Cruise have enough charisma to last well past the movie’s relatively long running time.
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There’s Something About Mary
Perhaps the most iconic of Diaz’s live-action performances, the Farrelly Brothers’ Ben Stiller vehicle There’s Something About Mary has withstood the test of time and remains their strongest work to date. It’d be nothing without Stiller and Diaz’s stellar chemistry at its center, but Diaz really has her charm turned up to eleven here. It remains one of her most memorable (and one of her best) performances all these years later.
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The Mask
Costarring alongside Jim Carrey is no easy task — he’s a spaz, and there’s no doubt any movie from the 90s with him at the lead was manufactured specifically for him. Still, Diaz manages to stand out as the female lead in this movie about a man who essentially turns into a human cartoon character. The two still remain 90s icons to this day, and perhaps this movie is to thank.
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In Her Shoes
Another (lesser known) Diaz vehicle from the 2000s is In Her Shoes, a dramatic, romantic, comedic look at the relationship between two sisters and their contrasting personalities. Toni Collette and Diaz play sisters convincingly well, and Shirley MacLaine gives a pleasant performance as their grandmother. It certainly has a few flaws within its runtime, but Diaz’s talent in the film is undeniable.
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