Cameron Diaz Biography

Name

Cameron Diaz

Date of Birth

August 30, 1972

Birth Place

San Diego, Calif.

Relationships

Alex Rodriguez, boyfriend (2010 to present) Paul Sculfor, ex-boyfriend (2008 to 2009) Justin Timberlake, ex-boyfriend (2003 to 2007) Jared Leto, ex-boyfriend (1999 to 2003) Matt Dillon, ex-boyfriend (1995 to 1998) Carlos de La Torre, ex-boyfriend (1990 to 1994)

1989

A Star Discovered

Photographer Jeff Dunas spots 16-year-old Diaz at a party and offers to help her land modeling work. Within days she has a contract with Elite and shortly thereafter is working for clients such as Coca-Cola and Nivea. "She has an energy, an electricity in her face, a sparkle that is unmistakable," Dunas tells PEOPLE in 1998.

1990

Dating in the Workplace

While shooting an ad for L.A. Gear, Diaz falls for video producer Carlos de La Torre, 27. "I spent the entire day trying to get him to talk to me," she tells PEOPLE in 1994.

1994

July 29

First-Movie Jitters

Diaz hits the big screen in the Jim Carrey comedy The Mask. The model, whose only acting experience was in a high school drama class, "tried out as a joke," according to her agent, Robin Levy. Diaz lands the part after 12 callbacks. Still, "the first day was hell," Diaz tells PEOPLE. "When Carlos was driving me to the studio it was like, 'Babe, pull over. I'm going to throw up.'"

1996

September

Love in Minnesota

After ending her relationship with de La Torre, Diaz goes on to date Matt Dillon for two years. The couple met while filming in Minnesota (his, Beautiful Girls; hers, Feeling Minnesota). "I love him incredibly," she tells Britain's Guardian in 1997.

1997

June 20

Playing Perky

Diaz appears as Julia Roberts' annoyingly-perfect nemesis in the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding, which eventually earns $127 million. In addition to the blockbusters, Diaz takes roles in smaller films, such as Head Above Water with Harvey Keitel.

1998

July 15

A Hair-Raising Role

After being named one of PEOPLE's 50 Most Beautiful, Diaz takes a gross-out comedic turn in There's Something About Mary. The movie becomes a smash hit, earning $172 million, and the hair-gel joke makes movie history. Diaz only agreed to the scene after long negotiations – and a couple of beers, the film's co-director Bobby Farrelly told PEOPLE. "She was thinking, 'I have a career going here, guys, and I don't want to ruin it over one of your ridiculous gags.'"

1999

October 29

A New 'Do

It's a new look for Diaz in Being John Malkovich: The actress dons a mousy brown wig and contact lenses to play the dowdy Lotte Schwartz opposite John Cusack and the film's namesake in the indie directed by Spike Jonze. PEOPLE calls the flick a "fabulously bizarre comedy, a dizzy original."

Winter

Bachelor No. 3

After a quiet breakup with Dillon, Diaz begins a low-profile romance with actor and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto. The couple will later dodge wedding rumors, first sparked when Diaz wears a $15,000 ring of rose-cut diamonds to the 2003 Golden Globes. Their relationship lasts four years.

2000

October 22

Movie Mission: Accomplished

Diaz joins Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore in Charlie's Angels. "I laughed every day I went to work. I got to kick ass. I got to drive fast cars and fast boats. I got to laugh my ass off. I got to dance my ass off. And I got paid to do it," she tells tells Harper's Bazaar. They all return for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in 2003, which features Demi Moore and grosses more than $100 million.

2001

May 16

Going Cartoon

Shrek premieres and a franchise is born. Diaz voices the object of the ogre's affection, Princess Fiona. In April, Diaz accepts the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Best Burp (as Princess Fiona). She signs on for 2004's Shrek 2 and 2007's Shrek the Third.

2002

December

Drama Time

Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York hits theaters, with Diaz opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. Of her audition, Diaz tells PEOPLE, "I didn't care if I got the job – I got to read for Marty Scorsese." The following year, Diaz sets a financial record for reprising her role in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, crossing the $20 million-per-picture barrier.

2003

July 07

The Older Woman

Diaz, 30, hooks up with 22-year-old Justin Timberlake. She soon travels with the pop star on his tour with Christina Aguilera.

August 30

Nose Job

Diaz breaks her nose for the fourth time in a surfing accident in Hawaii. She doesn't let the doctor straighten it, a decision she later regrets. "I'm getting it fixed," she tells W in 2006. "I can't take it. I cannot breathe at all. One side of my nose is totally shattered – my septum is basically like a train derailed."

2007

January

Taking a Holiday

With her The Holiday costar Kate Winslet, Diaz radiantly appears on the cover of fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar. The romantic comedy, which also stars Jude Law and Jack Black, grosses more than $63 million at the box office.

January 11

Cameron & Justin: The End

Diaz and Timberlake officially confirm they ended their nearly four-year relationship. "We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship, and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another," they say in a joint statement. In June, the exes reunite to promote Shrek the Third, in which they both star.

January 19

A Surfer, Magician & Musician

Diaz heads to Hawaii to surf with champion surfer Kelly Slater, an old friend who she met while filming Trippin'. But Slater isn't the only man keeping Diaz occupied, by summer, the actress is linked to magician Criss Angel and musician John Mayer.

2008

May

Cameron Covers W Magazine

After the death of her father, Emilio, Diaz shows her appreciation of life. "I'm in love with love. I'm in love with life," the actress, who has been recently linked to a few different guys (Bradley Cooper, Paul Sculfor), tells W. "This year I just sort of decided, you know, there's a lot of things that I've been wanting to do, and I’m going to do them." Also, she stars with Ashton Kutcher in What Happens in Vegas, which opens at No. 3.

June

Cameron's New Steady

Although Diaz said she's comfortable with keeping her options open, the 36-year-old actress steps out with model Paul Sculfor, 37, whom she dates until 2009.

2009

Spring

Dramatic Ventures

In the tearjerker My Sister's Keeper, Diaz plays a mother of two girls–the eldest is battling cancer and the youngest is born to save her sister's life. Reflecting on her late father Emilio (who died while Diaz worked on the drama), she says, "I'm sure it's going to be a part of all of the roles that I play now. It's been a year since he died, and it's been an incredibly transformative year."

2010

March

A Working Reunion

Diaz reunites with ex Justin Timberlake on the Los Angeles set of their new film, Bad Teacher. In the romantic comedy, slated for a 2011 release, Diaz plays an irresponsible 7th grade teacher who pursues Timberlake's substitute teacher in the hopes of using his money for a breast augmentation. "They have a shared sense of humor," the film's director says. "It's easy for them to be funny together. You know where the jokes are."

2010

May

Playing the Field

Diaz is spotted cozying up to New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez in Boston when the baseball star is in town for a game. Though she denies being in a relationship, the pair spends the summer together in New York and the actress tells Harper's Bazaar in July she's become a Yankees fan.