Jamie Foxx reveals how he convinced Cameron Diaz to come out of retirement

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By Carina Murphy

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Jamie Foxx has revealed how he persuaded Cameron Diaz to come out of retirement.

The Oscar-winner - who starred alongside Diaz in 1999's Any Given Sunday - gushed about working with her, and explained that in order to get her back in front of the camera he had to appeal to her sense of fun.

After becoming one of the most popular actors of the nineties and noughties with starring roles in the Charlie's Angels franchise, the Shrek movies, and a whole host of other hit films, Diaz has stayed out of the limelight in recent years.

Her last onscreen appearance was in the 2014 musical Annie, in which she starred alongside Foxx. Since then, the now 49-year-old has been on an eight-year acting hiatus, during which, she's focussed on starting a family with her Good Charlotte rocker husband Benji Madden.

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Diaz and Foxx in 'Any Given Sunday' (1999). Credit: Cinematic Collection / Alamy

However, that is all about to change in the upcoming Netflix movie, Back in Action, in which Diaz will be - fittingly - back in action alongside her former co-star Foxx.

Chatting to Entertainment Tonight, Foxx explained that he was eager to have Diaz on board in the project. "Cameron is such an incredible force and she has done so much in this business," he said, adding: "We love her."

Foxx, 54, went on to explain that when it came to convincing her to come out of retirement, all he had to do was appeal to her fun side.

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Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

"It was literally, 'Do you wanna have some fun? Just have some fun!' And I think that's what brought her to it," he told the outlet.

The Django Unchained star continued: "We miss special moments sometimes in our business, and I think this is a special moment. So we're so happy that it's happening and looking forward to it."

Diaz has previously opened up about her return to the big screen. In an interview with CBS Saturday Morning, the Vanilla Sky star told co-host Dana Jacobson that she had missed being in front of the camera.

"Making movies is a particular skill set that is fun to exercise and be a part of," she said, adding:  "It's a different lifestyle. And you kind of have to be ready to do that."

Featured Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy