Jamie Foxx says promise of ‘fun’ brought Cameron Diaz out of retirement

Jamie Foxx is quite a convincing person!

During an interview with entertainment tonightthe Oscar-winning actor shared how he persuaded his former Any Sunday costar, Cameron Diaz, to come out of retirement.

“Cameron is such an incredible force and she’s done so much in this business,” Foxx first gushed about the actress. “We like it.”

Explaining what it took to convince Diaz, 49, to join him in the upcoming Netflix film, Back to actionFoxx, 54, said it was just a proposal to have a good time.

“So it was literally, ‘Do you want to have fun? Just have fun!’ And I think that’s what led her to this,” he told the outlet.

“We sometimes miss special moments in our business, and I think that’s a special moment,” he continued. “So we’re so happy for this to happen and we can’t wait for it to happen.”

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Foxx – who enlisted Tom Brady to help share some tips for not retiring with Diaz – also added: “We had to be very innovative in how we, you know, brought her back.”

Last month, a film source revealed to PEOPLE that she Anne co-star Foxx has “pursued” her for Netflix’s new action-comedy flick.

“When this project came along and she was pursued by Jamie Foxx, who she’s known and worked with for years, she decided to go for it,” the source said.

Diaz also recently opened up about her return to acting after an eight-year hiatus in an interview with CBS Saturday morning. The star told co-host Dana Jacobson that she missed her craft while she was away.

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“Making movies is a special skill set that’s fun to practice and be part of,” Diaz explained. “But yeah, it’s a different lifestyle. And you kind of have to be ready for that.”

While away from acting, Diaz married Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden, 43, and the two welcomed their daughter, Raddix, in December 2019.

An insider close to Diaz’s family told PEOPLE last month that Madden “also encouraged her not to retire,” adding that he was “very excited for her.”