ActressCameron Diazcame out of retirement with her casting alongside Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix movieBack in Action, and in a recent appearance onThe Tonight Show, she spoke with host Jimmy Fallon about what it was like to be back on set. As it stands, Diaz has not been seen in a movie since the release of theAnnieremake in 2014, another film that featured both Diaz and Foxx. In 2018, she officially announced her retirement with no plans at the time to ever perform again.
But Foxx was keen on getting Diaz out of retirement, even if she was happy with her life away from Hollywood. After pitchingBack in Actionto Diaz, she agreed, enticed by the idea of reuniting for Foxx for a new project. As shared with Fallon, she also felt that the title of the film was very appropriate, as it marked her return to acting.
“I know. Literally. I was like, ‘Hey, guys, so what is the title of this?’ And they’re like, ‘Back in Action.’ I was like, ‘Oh!’ I’m really feeling very connected to this character already.”
Fallon also brings up how Foxx enlisted the help of Tom Brady to help convince Diaz to step out of retirement, coming from someone who knows a thing or two about doing that. As far as how it felt to get back into the saddle after almost a decade away, Diaz admits that acting feels different now, but her “muscle memory” kicked in and she was able to perform just as well as she had always done before.
“I’m both (nervous and excited). You know, it’s a little bit of muscle memory, you know what I mean? Sort like, I did that for so long, it’s kind of like the process, I kind of just fell back into it. But, it kind of feels a bit different.”
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Cameron Diaz Will Reunite With Jamie Foxx in Back in Action
Diaz and Foxx previously appeared together in theAnnieremake, but it was not their first time sharing the screen. They previously appeared in the Oliver Stone filmAny Given Sundayback in 1999. For Diaz, she’s also happy that it was Foxx who gave her the chance to come out of retirement, as it feels right to reunite with the actor after working with him on the last movie she made before her retirement.
“I’ve also made two movies with Jamie, which is amazing that I get to make… the last movie I made which was Annie with Jamie, and so, the first movie back is this film with Jamie. So, it’s amazing. He’s so great. He’s so easy. He’s so professional. He’s so talented. And just being able to work with him, it’ll be so much fun.”
Back in Actionwill be directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) using a screenplay co-written with Brendan O’Brien (Neighbors). Foxx is executive producing with O’Brien, Datari Turner, and Mark McNair, while Beau Bauman of Good One Productions and Seth Gordon of Exhibit A are producing. The film will be released on Netflix but it does not yet have a premiere date.
