In 2014, Cameron Diaz quietly left Hollywood, a decision she hardly regrets some eight years later. She last appeared as Miss Hannigan in the film adaptation of “Annie.” Diaz has spent her time doing other things in the years since, including welcoming her first daughter, Raddix Madden, in 2020.

The 50-year-old celebrity recently spoke with actor Gwenyth Paltrow about her Tinseltown exit, telling the “Iron Man” star, “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 didn’t really make any space for my personal life.”

Paltrow asked Diaz what it was like to walk away from Hollywood at the height of success. The retired actor replied, “I got a peace in my soul because I finally was taking care of myself. I just feel grounded and light.”

She went on to say, “It’s so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there. There’s a lot of energy coming at you at all times when you’re really visible as an actor and doing press and putting yourself out there.” Diaz added, “I realized I handed off parts of my life to all these other people, and they took it. And I had to basically take it back and take responsibility for my life.”

American culture is much different today than it was when Diaz was last an A-list celebrity. A Rasmussen poll from 2021 found more than half of Americans, 56 percent, believe Hollywood as a whole holds a liberal point of view, and 75 percent believe the entertainment industry harms American culture.