Cameron Diaz On Retirement From Acting: 'I Wanted Different Things Out Of My Life'

Cameron Diaz’s retirement from acting at the height of her career raised eyebrows, but the actress said she has no regrets over her decision to leave the spotlight.

In the latest episode of “In Goop Health: The Sessions,” Diaz, whose last movie credit was in 2014 when she starred in the remake of “Annie,” opened up to Gwyneth Paltrow about her life after retiring from showbiz. When asked by the “Avengers” actress how it felt to leave behind a “movie career of that magnitude,” Diaz said she felt relieved.

“Like peace. A peace in my soul because I was finally taking care of myself,” the 47-year-old actress responded with a smile.

Diaz, who was in the top five of Forbes' 2014 list of highest-earning actresses, said she understood that not all people from outside the industry would understand her decision to say goodbye to a lucrative profession. But the “Charlie’s Angels” star said she felt that being in the spotlight constantly had been draining.

“It was so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there,” she explained.

Diaz added that she was constantly bombarded with “energies” because of her celebrity status. She claimed that she was “sensitive to some energies” during her heyday.

“I stopped and really looked at my life. When you’re making a movie … they own you. You’re there for 12 hours a day for months on end you have no time for anything else,” Diaz explained.

Diaz came to realize that she was handing off chunks of her life to people she didn’t really know and knew that she wanted out of it. When the actress turned 40, she decided that she wanted to look out for herself after spending so much time on her craft.

“I just decided that I wanted different things out of my life. I had gone so hard for so long, working, making films and it's such a grind, I had been going so hard for so long, working, making films, such a grind. I didn't make any space for my personal life,” the actress shared.

That is where her husband, Benji Madden, entered the picture. Diaz credited the Good Charlotte member for helping her in her journey to self-discovery. The couple exchanged vows in 2015 and have remained out of the spotlight.

In January, the pair announced that they welcomed their first bundle of joy, daughter Raddix. Diaz has been enjoying motherhood, as evidenced by interviews in which she gushes about her daughter.