Cameron Diaz says her recent Netflix experience was way more chill than her past movie sets.
The 52-year-old actress and wine entrepreneur, who teams up with Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s Back in Action, chatted on the SkipIntro podcast last month about being blown away by how the company prioritizes a positive work environment. This marks Diaz’s return to acting after an 11-year break following Annie, where she also worked with Foxx.
During the interview’s 27-minute mark, Diaz noted how the entertainment biz has totally transformed, especially regarding sexual harassment.
“I definitely have to say that #MeToo changed everything. It’s palpable. You walk onto the set and it is different,” Diaz told SkipIntro host Krista Smith. “It wasn’t just like the higher-ups [back then]. There was always just that one guy on set, that you were like, ‘God, here he comes again.’ There were always layers and layers of inappropriateness that you just kind of had to put up with.”
She added, “As women, you just had to [laugh it off]. Some people you have to be forceful with and put up the boundaries, and others you can’t give them the time of day.”
Diaz mentioned that Netflix was her first experience having HR come talk about “what is appropriate and what is inappropriate behavior” on set.
“And there’s a hotline, which Netflix has, to call anonymously to report any issues that you might be feeling. Wow, that is amazing. The level of security of safety you feel as a woman now on set is. … I never felt that before this film.”
Speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit last October, Diaz explained that she stepped away from the spotlight to “reclaim” her life.
“Nobody’s opinion, nobody’s success, no one’s offer, no one’s anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have,” Diaz said. “It really comes to: What are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family.”
The actress and Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden hit their ten-year milestone last month. They’re parents to two kids born through surrogacy – Raddix, 5, and Cardinal.
