Christina Perri Talks Tattoos, 'Twilight' and Life Since Her Debut Tune Became a TV Hit

When PopEater reminds Christina Perri that it's been little more than four months since her single 'Jar of Hearts' hit the TV show 'So You Think You Can Dance,' she's momentarily at a loss for words. "When you just said that, I was like, 'Not uh,'" Perri says. "It feels like it was so long ago. My whole life has changed, but all for the better and in so many ways, I can't even begin." The girl behind the song is a tattooed, bluesy singer with a love of her craft, a recently released EP, and an upcoming album that may or may include a tune that unveils her fandom of a certain fictional heartthrob vampire. PopEater catches up with Perri about living in a "crazy bubble" since her break into the music industry, letting go of one of her vices and setting some 'Twilight' goals.

On June 30, 'Jar of Hearts' was on 'So You Think You Can Dance.' On July 1, you quit your job as a waitress and went on to get a record deal. Now that it's just over four months later, how has your life changed?
I cannot believe it's only been [a little over] four months. I started counting little dreams that were coming true, and then really genuinely lost count and had to kind of make all brand-new dreams because in that first month, I felt like everything I'd ever dreamed came true. It's definitely surreal, and I'm still in it -- recording my EP and then the EP coming out and doing insanely well, I'm going to be playing Conan O'Brien in like two weeks, I'm doing pre-production for my album. It's just one thing after the next. It's still blowing my mind. I'm super grateful for all of it and definitely still in the crazy bubble.

I also probably haven't slept for four months. I've been all over the country, and it's just been phenomenal. But at the end of the day, I think my most favorite thing is that I get to wake up and play music. I have so many friends that are still waitresses and waiters and with their day jobs and stuff. As cheesy as it might sound, [I love] just not having to wake up and go to work at a job doing something else, covering up my tattoos. I get to wake up every day and be me.

What tattoos do you have?
I have a bunch. It's funny, I counted them because so many people were counting them for me and they were way off. They were like, "She's got 150 tattoos." I don't. I have 34. They're pretty much everywhere. I've got one in every direction you look -- between my fingers, on my arms, on my chest, on my back, all over.

Which tattoo is your most recent?
The last one I got was Banksy. I got it on my whole side, which was such a nightmare because it's all solid black and it's a girl holding the eight black balloons. It signifies my eight wishes -- I made eight lifetime big wishes. The little girl is like me. I was in such pain. It was like six hours, and 25 minutes into it, I was like, "Why did I do this?" But I had to finish. It's really silly when you're in it, and it takes like a whole day, but then you're like, "Oh right, 'cause it looks awesome."

Do you find it a bit bittersweet that so many people can relate to a song that is about something as painful as 'Jar of Hearts'?
Totally. I go to all these places, and I've been fortunate enough to meet a lot of people who like the song and to play it for them. They come up to me, and it's not like they come up and they're like, "This song about the sunshine and being on the beach all day. I love that song and I totally relate!" They're literally like, crying, and some of them are like, "I've just gone through a divorce, and this song made me" ... but that's normally the end of that sentence or story. [Then] it's always like, "I have hope now," or "I've gained strength from this." Even though it's really a kind of bizarre, sad, heart-wrenching topic, I feel like the main theme in the song, if you listen, is about getting stronger and not going back to that person that keeps breaking your heart. It's a weird one, but I like the fact that people end up feeling stronger after they hear it.

How is your first album coming along?
I'm definitely taking my time with each song and just making it exactly how I've always dreamed it to be. I'm so excited. Everything that's happened up to this point has been amazing. But as a singer-songwriter, making an album is really at the top of your list. A record deal is amazing, touring is amazing, but it's all ultimately to create this thing which is your soul and your guts and your piece of art, and to put that out into the world. That's what you're existing for, you know. That's really what I'm excited to do.

You recently tweeted that you haven't had a cigarette in nine months. What made you decide to quit smoking, and do you have any advice for others who are trying to quit?
I wanted to quit smoking for a long time. I mean, I feel like it's kind of silly when you're a singer and you smoke because [your voice] is your instrument. It's funny -- it's almost like I had a feeling some stuff was coming because I quit smoking in February, and that's when I met my manager and things started really happening for me. I wonder if it was like the universe being like, "Hey, you should stop now because stuff's about to get crazy."

I tried [to quit] a bunch of times, and I think there's two really important things. One, you have to really want to quit. Otherwise, your brain will just keep taking you back. So I think A) you should really want to, and B) if you're gonna use products like the patch, like I used, you should follow the directions on the box. I tried to quit with the patch like six times before, and I never actually did what the box told me to do which is silly because a doctor gives the directions on there. I don't know why I thought I was a doctor and that I could do it my own way. As soon as I literally followed the directions on the box, I quit.

You've mentioned that you got to meet Cher recently. How did that go?
[Laughs] That was one of the craziest moments in my life. I don't get starstruck. Anyone who really knows me knows I'm really loud and bold and just kind of crazy, and I did not speak. I think I said, "Hi, my name's Christina," and she asked if I was a Suicide Girl. There was no conversing going on because I was completely starstruck. I've never been like that in my whole life. It's Cher! She's so amazing looking, even up close. She's gorgeous. She looks like a picture. She was just like, in my face and she was touching all my tattoos on my arm, and I literally was like just completely out of breath. The photo [of us] is really funny because you can tell that I'm not breathing. I look like a total weirdo.

You're also a big 'Twilight' fan, right?
Yes. I am a full on Twihard. I read all the books in like a month, and I have the book covers framed on my walls. I wait in line at the box office to go see the movies to get a good seat. I pre-order the DVDs. I'm totally in love with Edward Cullen. I even wrote a song about him. I'm such a big dork.

Is that song going to be on your album?
It actually might be. I really am demoing it right now. It's hilarious.

Will you be trying to get on the 'Breaking Dawn' soundtrack?
That has been one of my dreams from day one, especially with signing with Atlantic and them being affiliated [with it]. Everybody on my whole team knows.

So, that's your No. 1 goal right now?
Right now, that is. I mean, that and making a really kick--s album.

Politicians, advisers mourn Elizabeth Edwards

The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Reaction to the death of Elizabeth Edwards, who died Tuesday at age 61:

- President Barack Obama:

"Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Elizabeth Edwards. This afternoon I spoke to Cate Edwards and John Edwards, and offered our family's condolences. I came to know and admire Elizabeth over the course of the presidential campaign. She was a tenacious advocate for fixing our health care system and fighting poverty, and our country has benefited from the voice she gave to the cause of building a society that lifts up all those left behind. In her life, Elizabeth Edwards knew tragedy and pain. Many others would have turned inward; many others in the face of such adversity would have given up. But through all that she endured, Elizabeth revealed a kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain a source of inspiration. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends."

- Vice President Joe Biden:

"Elizabeth Edwards fought a brave battle against a terrible, ravaging disease that takes too many lives every day. She was an inspiration to all who knew her, and to those who felt they knew her."

- Gov. Beverly Perdue:

"I was saddened to learn of the death of Elizabeth Edwards. North Carolina has lost one of our smartest and most resilient women. My heart goes out to her family."

- U.S. Sen. Richard Burr:

"She was a passionate advocate for issues she believed in and a caring and loving mother. Her legacy should serve as an inspiration to all of us. Her life was not without tragedy and adversity, yet through it all she fought for her family and faced every challenge with courage, poise, and grace."

- U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan:

"She was a dedicated mother and a passionate advocate for cancer research and health care causes. During her remarkable life, Elizabeth always carried herself with dignity. She used her battle with breast cancer to raise cancer awareness and create change. She faced her battle in the public eye, and I very much admired her strength and courage."

- Former President Bill Clinton:

"With the passing of Elizabeth Edwards, America has lost a symbol of strength, hope, and humanity, a tireless advocate for health care for all Americans, and determined crusader for cancer cures. Her children have lost a loving mother, her friends a wise counselor."

- Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society:

"We can be grateful to Mrs. Edwards. Her decisions and open discussion of them bring an awareness that is good for all of us. Her presence will be missed, but her impact will live on forever."

- Democratic campaign strategist Joe Trippi:

"She was out to live every single day. She was going to live every single one of them with all the energy and grit that she could. That's a big lesson that her life could teach all of us."

- Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine:

"Elizabeth was a woman of firm convictions and strong principles, and she was an inspiration not only to members of the Democratic Party but to countless Americans of all backgrounds."

---

On December 6, 2010, Edwards' family announced that she would stop cancer treatment after her doctors advised her that further treatment would be unproductive, the cancer having metastasized to her liver. She had been advised she had several weeks to live. Her family members, including her estranged husband John, were with her. She posted her last message on Facebook:

“ You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.

But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know. ”

—Elizabeth Edwards

Edwards died of metastatic breast cancer on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at home in Chapel Hill, surrounded by friends and family.

Read more about metastatic breast cancer

Elizabeth Edwards Biography

Elizabeth Anania Edwards (born Mary Elizabeth Anania) (July 3, 1949 – December 7, 2010) was an attorney and a best-selling author. At the time of her death, she was separated from her husband John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from North Carolina who was the 2004 United States Democratic vice-presidential nominee.

Family and early life

Elizabeth Anania, the daughter of Elizabeth and Vincent Anania (1920–2008), grew up in a military family, moving many times and never having a hometown, as her father, a United States Navy pilot, was transfered from military base to military base during her childhood and adolescence. For part of her childhood she lived in Japan, where her father was stationed. She relates in Resilience that one of the hardest of the many relocations that she went through was having to move during her senior year of high school.[citation needed] She graduated from the Francis C. Hammond High School in Alexandria, Virginia, then attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She then transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from which she received her bachelor's degree. After three years of postgraduate studies in English at UNC, she entered UNC's School of Law and earned a J.D.. She met John Edwards when they were both law students at UNC. They married on July 30, 1977.

Elizabeth was the mother of four children with her husband John: Wade, Catharine, Emma Claire, and Jack. Wade was killed in April 1996 when he lost control of his Jeep while driving from his Raleigh home to the family's beach house in the private gated community of Figure Eight Island, near Wilmington. Three weeks before his death, Wade Edwards was honored by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House as one of the 10 finalists in an essay contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Voice of America. Wade, accompanied by his parents and sister, met North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. After Wade died, Helms entered his essay and his obituary into the Congressional Record.

Following Wade's death, the Edwardses decided to have more children: Emma Claire was born in 1998 when Elizabeth was 48, and Jack was born in 2000 when she was 50. She was pregnant with Emma Claire during her husband's 1998 Senate race. Emma Claire and Jack were born in Chapel Hill, where the family now resides. After John's January 21, 2010, public admission that he fathered a child with his mistress, Elizabeth legally separated from him, intending to file for divorce after North Carolina's mandatory one-year separation.

Career

Elizabeth began her career as a law clerk for a federal judge, then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978 to become an associate at the law firm of Harwell Barr Martin & Sloan. In 1981, she and her husband moved their family to Raleigh, where she worked in the Office of the Attorney General, and at the law firm Merriman, Nicholls, and Crampton. She used her maiden name professionally until 1996, when she retired from legal practice upon the death of her son and changed her name to Elizabeth Edwards. Much of her time since leaving legal practice was devoted to the administration of the Wade Edwards Foundation. She taught legal writing as an adjunct instructor at the University of North Carolina School of Law and worked as a substitute teacher in the Wake County Public Schools. In August 2009, she opened a furniture store in Chapel Hill.

Political activity

During much of 2004, Edwards joined her husband and United States Democratic Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry on the nationwide campaign trail. She took a similar role in her husband's 2008 presidential bid and was considered one of his closest advisers.

Edwards disagreed with her husband on the topic of same-sex marriage. She became a vocal advocate in 2007 when she stated: "I don't know why someone else’s marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage."

On June 10, 2008, it was revealed that Edwards would be advising her husband's former rival, and eventual Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, on healthcare issues. Her husband also endorsed Obama during the later stages of the 2008 primary season.

Edwards became a senior fellow at the American Progress Action Fund and testified to Congress about health care reform on their behalf.

Illness and death

On November 3, 2004, the day Kerry conceded defeat in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election, Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer. She later revealed that she discovered a lump in her breast while on a campaign stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a few weeks earlier, in the midst of the campaign. Edwards was treated and has remained an activist for women's health and cancer patients. In a November 2006 comment on the Daily Kos website, Edwards stated that on her last visit, her oncologist said that cancer was not one of the things going on in her life.

In September 2006, Edwards released a book, Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers, focusing on the death of her son and her illness. In May 2009, Edwards released a second book, Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities, further detailing her illness, the 1996 death of her son Wade, the earlier death of her father, the effect of these events on her marriage to John Edwards, his infidelity, and the general state of health care in America.

At a March 22, 2007 press conference, John and Elizabeth Edwards announced that her cancer had returned, and that his campaign for the Presidency would continue as before. The announcement included the information that she was asymptomatic, and therefore that she expected to be an active part of the campaign. Her doctor, Dr. Lisa Carey of the University of North Carolina's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, described the diagnosis as stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer with a spot in her rib and possibly her lung. In a March 25 interview on 60 Minutes, Edwards said that there was also a spot in her hip found on her bone scan. The Edwardses and Dr. Carey stressed that the cancer was not curable, but was treatable. In early April 2007, Edwards was informed that her cancer might be treatable with anti-estrogen drugs. "I consider that a good sign. It means there are more medications to which I can expect to be responsive," she told the Associated Press during a campaign stop with her husband in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

On December 6, 2010, Edwards' family announced that she would stop cancer treatment after her doctors advised her that further treatment would be unproductive, the cancer having metastasized to her liver. She had been advised she had several weeks to live. Her family members, including her estranged husband John, were with her. She posted her last message on Facebook:

“ You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.

But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know. ”

—Elizabeth Edwards

Edwards died of metastatic breast cancer on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at home in Chapel Hill, surrounded by friends and family.

Read more about metastatic breast cancer

Elizabeth Edwards dies

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Elizabeth Edwards, the political wife whose public battle with breast cancer, coping with marital infidelity and continued advocacy for the downtrodden raised her profile above that of her husband, died Tuesday.

Edwards, 61, died at her Chapel Hill home, where family and friends had gathered in recent days after doctors informed her that her cancer had spread and recommended that she not undergo further treatment.

"Today, we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth's presence, but she remains the heart of this family. We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life," the Edwards family said in a statement. "On behalf of Elizabeth, we want to express our gratitude to the thousands of kindred spirits who moved and inspired her along the way. Your support and prayers touched our entire family."

The family asked that people make donations to the Wade Edwards Foundation, which supports a computer lab for high school students in Raleigh.

Edwards was first diagnosed with cancer in the waning days of the 2004 presidential campaign, when her husband, then-U.S. Sen. John Edwards, was the Democratic nominee for vice president. The couple didn't disclose her illness until after the election.

The cancer went into remission after surgery and months of treatment, but it resurfaced in early 2007, as John Edwards was mounting a second run at the White House. The Edwardses agreed at the time that they wouldn't allow the cancer to derail his candidacy.

Because the cancer had moved into her bones, her doctors said at that time that it was no longer curable but could be treated.

Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum late Tuesday, but a spokeswoman for John Edwards said he likely wouldn't make a public statement about his estranged wife's death until Wednesday.

"In her life, Elizabeth Edwards knew tragedy and pain. Many others would have turned inward; many others in the face of such adversity would have given up. But through all that she endured, Elizabeth revealed a kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain a source of inspiration," President Barack Obama said in a statement.

“Brooke and I were saddened to learn this afternoon of the passing of Elizabeth Edwards," U.S. Sen. Richard Burr said in a statement. "She was a passionate advocate for issues she believed in and a caring and loving mother. Her legacy should serve as an inspiration to all of us. Her life was not without tragedy and adversity, yet through it all, she fought for her family and faced every challenge with courage, poise and grace."
Brilliant lawyer

The daughter of a decorated Navy pilot, Mary Elizabeth Anania spent her childhood at military bases in the U.S. and Japan. She met John Edwards while they both attended the University of North Carolina School of Law, and they married in 1977 during the same week they both took the bar exam.

Elizabeth Edwards dazzled her future husband and her classmates with her intelligence, humor, and grit. One classmate later recalled how she could stop a law professor cold after a 20-minute grilling on a case.

"The smartest lawyer I know is my wife, Elizabeth," John Edwards once said.

"From the time she was a toddler, she was extremely impassioned, blazingly intelligent," said her brother, Jay Anania, a New York film director.

After briefly living in Nashville, Tenn., the Edwardses moved to Raleigh to pursue their legal careers. While her husband built a name for himself as a successful personal-injury lawyer, Elizabeth Edwards first worked for the state Attorney General's Office before becoming a bankruptcy attorney.

They had two children, son Wade and daughter Cate.

Family tragedy

In 1996, Wade Edwards, who was 16 at the time, was killed in a wreck while driving from Raleigh to the family's beach house on Figure Eight Island, near Wilmington. To deal with her grief, Elizabeth Edwards retired from practicing law and withdrew from interacting with friends. Later, she found solace by spending countless hours in online bereavement chat rooms.

"Connections have enriched and sustained me; they have strengthened me by holding me up when I needed it, and they have strengthened me by letting me hold up my end when it was needed," she wrote in her 2006 memoir, "Saving Graces."

To fill the void left by Wade's death, the Edwardses decided to have more children, and Elizabeth delivered Emma Claire when she was 48 and Jack when she was 50.

"She loves being a mother. It's a role that she esteems more highly than any other, despite the fact that she is extremely active in other things," Anania once said.

She added the role of political wife in 1998, when John Edwards' decision to run against Republican U.S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth pulled the family into the public spotlight. His populist appeal and positive campaign propelled him to victory and took the family to Washington, D.C.

Cancer on campaign trail

John Edwards rose quickly through the national Democratic Party ranks, and in 2004, presidential nominee John Kerry named his as his running mate, putting Elizabeth and her young children on the campaign trail nationwide.

She drew high marks from reporters covering the election and from people attending campaign rallies for her intelligence and candor, according to news reports at the time. Yet, it was her revelation days after the Kerry-Edwards ticket lost in the November election that she had breast cancer that garnered her respect and an outpouring of support from across the country.

"Elizabeth is as strong a person as I've ever known. Together, our family will beat this," John Edwards said at the time.

Following the election loss and her cancer treatment, Elizabeth Edwards wrote "Saving Graces," the first of her two books on how she overcame adversity in her life.

"I had learned long ago that it was typically the most ordinary days that the careful pieces of life can break away and shatter," she wrote in the book.
John Edwards' affair

Within three months of John Edwards entering the 2008 presidential race, Elizabeth learned that her cancer had returned and had metastasized to her bones. Still, she refused to allow her husband to end his campaign, saying she felt fine and believed in his cause.

"We're always going to look for the silver lining. That's who we are as people," she said at the time.

By then, John Edwards was already having an extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter, who had been hired to produce promotional campaign videos. Elizabeth Edwards said in her second book, "Resilience," that she wanted him to end his campaign as soon as she learned of the affair to protect her family's privacy, but she stood by his side as he continued.

John Edwards didn't acknowledge the affair until August 2008, months after he dropped out of the presidential race. In January 2010, he admitted that he was the father of Hunter's daughter, who was born in February 2008.

The affair became tabloid fodder, and Elizabeth Edwards was alternately portrayed as the suffering wife or a schemer who hid the truth in an effort to win the White House.

The Edwardses separated in late 2009 after 32 years of marriage.

Health care advocate

Since the end of John Edwards' 2008 campaign, Elizabeth Edwards has kept a low-profile, opening a furniture store in downtown Chapel Hill. She also served as a fellow at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C., and maked occasional speaking appearances to promote her books or advocate for health care issues.

She advised Barack Obama on health care issues during the later stages of his 2008 presidential campaign and testified before Congress during the months of debate the led to the passage of the national health care reform legislation in March.

Edwards used her own experience with cancer to show the need that every American have access to affordable health insurance and care.

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered," Edwards wrote on her Facebook page Monday. "We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.

"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that, I am grateful."

Source : wral.com

Celebrities react tod Elizabeth Edwars' death

The news of Elizabeth Edwards' death sent Twitter users into a frenzy. And some of those chiming in were celebrities.

USA TODAY's Lorena Blas here, rounding up some of the early reaction from famous people on Twitter to Edwards' passing.

RIP Elizabeth. It was an honor to get to know you and be your friend. I, like millions more, will miss you dearly. -- Lance Armstrong

Rest in peace, Elizabeth Edwards. -- Alyssa Milano

My heart breaks for the family and friends of Elizabeth Edwards. We have lost a hero. -- Nate Berkus

Thoughts and prayers to Cate, Jack and Emma Claire Edwards. Elizabeth Edwards was an amazing inspiration for so many women. -- Meghan McCain

My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Elizabeth Edwards who passed away today ... May she finally know PEACE. -- Star Jones

Sad! -- Kim Zolciak

source : usatoday.com

Cameron Diaz Biography

Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She gained fame in the 1990s with roles in the blockbuster films The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other notable film credits include Charlie's Angels, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, and voicing Princess Fiona in the Shrek series. Diaz received Golden Globe nominations for her performances in There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Vanilla Sky, and Gangs of New York.

Early life

Diaz was born in San Diego, California, the daughter of Billie (née Early), an import-export agent, and Emilio Diaz (1949–2008), who worked for the California oil company UNOCAL for more than 20 years as a field gauger. Her father, who was born in Los Angeles County, was a second-generation Cuban American, whose family came from Spain via Cuba (her paternal grandparents settled in Tampa's Ybor City) and her mother is of English, German, and Cherokee descent. She has two older siblings: Chimene and Michael. She attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School where she was in the theater program for one year.

Career
Modeling

At 15, she began her career as a fashion model. Diaz signed with top modeling agency Elite Model Management. For the next few years, her modeling took her around the world, working for contracts with major companies. She modeled for designers such as Calvin Klein and Levi's. When she was seventeen she was featured on the cover of the July 1990 issue of Seventeen magazine.

Acting

At 21, Diaz auditioned for The Mask, even though she had no previous acting experience, based on the recommendation of an agent for Elite who met the film's producers while they were searching for the female lead. After obtaining the lead female role, she immediately started acting lessons. The Mask became one of the top ten highest grossing films of 1994, and earned Diaz nominations for several awards.

Over the next 3 years, she took roles in low-budget independent films, such as The Last Supper (1995), Feeling Minnesota (1996), She's the One (1996), Keys to Tulsa (1996), and A Life Less Ordinary (1997), preferring to feel her way effectively into the business. She was scheduled to star in the film Mortal Kombat, but had to pull out after breaking her hand while training for the role.

She returned to mainstream films with the major box office successes My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) and There's Something About Mary (1998), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actress — Musical or Comedy. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Being John Malkovich (1999), which earned her Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Golden Globes, the BAFTA Awards, and the SAG Awards. During 1990–2000, Diaz starred in many films, such as Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, Very Bad Things, Any Given Sunday, and the hit adaptation of Charlie's Angels. In 2001, she won nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the AFI Awards for Vanilla Sky, and also voiced Princess Fiona in Shrek, for which she earned $10 million.

In 2003, Diaz received another Golden Globe nomination for Martin Scorsese's epic Gangs of New York, and became the third actress (after Wedding costar Julia Roberts) to earn $20 million for a role, receiving the sum for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Her next films were In Her Shoes (2005), and The Holiday (2006). She was set to team up again with The Mask co-star Jim Carrey in the film Fun with Dick and Jane, but dropped out to star in In Her Shoes. Diaz reportedly earned $50 million in the period of a year ending June 2008, for her roles in What Happens in Vegas opposite Ashton Kutcher, and the Shrek sequels. In 2009, she starred in My Sister's Keeper and The Box.

In 2010, Forbes Magazine ranked Cameron Diaz as the richest Hispanic female celebrity, ranking number 60 among the top 100. Also that year, Diaz again voiced Princess Fiona in Shrek Forever After, and reunited with her Vanilla Sky co-star Tom Cruise in the action/comedy Knight and Day.

Personal life

Diaz received "substantial" defamation damages from suing American Media Incorporated, after The National Enquirer had claimed she was cheating on then-boyfriend Timberlake.

In 1992, Diaz appeared in a soft-core S&M video entitled "She's No Angel" shot by photographer John Rutter. In 2003, she won an injunction against Rutter preventing him from distributing the video or accompanying photographs, but in 2004, the video was distributed online through a Russian website.

When Diaz was asked if she can speak Spanish she said:
“ I go, 'God, you know, it all sounds so familiar. I know what you're saying, I really do. I just cannot respond to you back in Spanish. I can barely speak English properly.' I didn't grow up in a Cuban community. I grew up in Southern California on the beach, basically. And I'm third generation. I'm of Cuban descent. ”

She was vocal in her support for Al Gore in 2000. Diaz went so far as sporting a t-shirt that read "I won't vote for a son of a Bush!" while making the publicity rounds for Charlie's Angels.

Diaz has also been involved with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the first and largest nonprofit for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and has spoken as an advocate for military families.

Although she was quoted in a 1997 Time Magazine article saying she was germophobic, Diaz specifically denied this on the June 26, 2009 edition of Real Time with Bill Maher, saying that a small comment she made 12 years earlier regarding public bathroom doorknobs was blown out of proportion.

On April 15, 2008, her father, Emilio Diaz, died of pneumonia, aged 58.

Relationships

In 1995, she began a relationship with actor Matt Dillon, with whom she co-starred in There's Something About Mary and broke up with in 1998. She then had a relationship with singer/actor Jared Leto from 1999 to 2003. Diaz dated singer Justin Timberlake from 2003 to 2006. In October 2004, Diaz and Timberlake were in an altercation with a tabloid photographer outside a hotel. When the photographer and another man tried to photograph them, the couple snatched the camera. Pictures of the incident appeared in Us Weekly. Representatives for the pair claimed that they were acting out a scene on a set. As of July 2010, Diaz has been in a romantic relationship with New York Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

Filmography and awards

In 1996, Diaz received an award at the ShoWest Convention for "Female Star of Tomorrow." In 2006, she won a People's Choice Award for "Favorite Leading Lady." On June 22, 2009, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	The Mask	Tina Carlyle	Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence (shared with Jim Carrey)
1995	The Last Supper	Jude
1996	She's the One	Heather
1996	Feeling Minnesota	Freddie Clayton
1996	Head Above Water	Nathalie
1996	Keys to Tulsa	Trudy
1997	My Best Friend's Wedding	Kimberly Wallace	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role Blockbuster Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1997	A Life Less Ordinary	Celine Naville	Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence (shared with Ewan McGregor)
1998	Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas	Blonde TV Reporter
1998	There's Something About Mary	Mary Jensen	American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Blockbuster Award for Favorite Actress – Comedy Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Artist New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Teen Choice Award for Most Disgusting Scene MTV Movie Award for Best Performance - Female Virtuoso Award for Best Actress Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role Nominated — Empire Award for Best Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated — Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress Nominated — Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Actress Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo Nominated — People's Choice Awards for Best Actress Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Film Actress
1998	Very Bad Things	Laura Garrety
1999	Man Woman Film	Random Celebrity	cameo
1999	Being John Malkovich	Lotte Schwartz	Nominated — American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated — Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Film Actress Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Film - Choice Hissy Fit
1999	Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her	Carol Faber
1999	The Invisible Circus	Faith
1999	Any Given Sunday	Christina Pagniacci	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Drama Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Film Actress
2000	Charlie's Angels	Natalie Cook	Nominated — American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated — Blockbuster Award for Favorite Actress – Comedy Nominated — Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Actress In A Film Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo Nominated — MTV Movie Awards for Best Line Nominated — MTV Movie Awards for Best Dance Sequence Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Film Actress
2001	Shrek	Princess Fiona	Nominated — Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Voice
2001	Vanilla Sky	Julie Gianni	Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — AFI Award for Best Actress Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
2002	The Sweetest Thing	Christina Walters	Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Actress
2002	Gangs of New York	Jenny Everdeane	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Favorite Film Actress
2003	Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle	Natalie Cook	Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Actress Nominated — MTV Movie Awards for Best Dance Sequence
2004	Shrek 2	Princess Fiona	voice
2005	In Her Shoes	Maggie Feller	Nominated — Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress
2006	The Holiday	Amanda Woods	Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress – Motion Picture MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Teen Choice Awards for Hissy Fit NRJ Ciné Awards for Best Actress
2007	Shrek the Third	Princess Fiona	voice
2008	What Happens in Vegas	Joy McNally	Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Comedy Actress
2009	My Sister's Keeper	Sara Fitzgerald	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress – Motion Picture Teen Choice Awards for Film Actress
2009	The Box	Norma Lewis
2010	Shrek Forever After	Princess Fiona	voice
2010	Knight and Day	June Havens
2011	The Green Hornet	Lenore Case
2011	Bad Teacher	Elizabeth Halsey

[edit] Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	Trippin [28]	Herself	MTV - Travel Documentary
2007	Shrek the Halls	Princess Fiona	Made for television
2008–2009	Saturday Night Live	Kiki Deamore	3 episodes
2009	Sesame Street
2010	Top Gear	Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car	Series 15, Episode 5 - appeared alongside Tom Cruise
2010	Scared Shrekless	Princess Fiona	Made for television

Cameron Diaz Photos

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