Profile Text
Diaz in 2011, Dfree/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Cameron Michelle Diaz
Place of Birth: San Diego, California, United States
Date of Birth: August 30, 1972
Ethnicity: * father – Cuban [Spanish, including Asturian, possibly other], one eighth Spanish-Venezuelan * mother – English, Scottish, Irish, German
Cameron Diaz is an American actress, model, entrepreneur, producer, and author. Her roles include the films The Mask (1994), The Last Supper (1995), She’s the One , Feeling Minnesota , Head Above Water (1996), Keys to Tulsa , My Best Friend’s Wedding , A Life Less Ordinary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , There’s Something About Mary , Welcome to Hollywood , Very Bad Things , Being John Malkovich , Any Given Sunday , Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her , Charlie’s Angels (2000), and its sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle ; The Invisible Circus , Shrek , and its sequels, Shrek 2 , Shrek the Third , and Shrek Forever After ; Vanilla Sky , Slackers , The Sweetest Thing (2002), Gangs of New York , In Her Shoes , The Holiday (2006), What Happens in Vegas , My Sister’s Keeper , The Box (2009), Knight and Day , The Green Hornet (2011), Bad Teacher , What to Expect When You’re Expecting , Gambit (2012), A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman , The Counselor (2013), The Other Woman , Sex Tape , Annie (2014), Back in Action (2025), and Outcome ; the shows Trippin’ and Sesame Street ; and the theme park attraction Shrek 4-D .
Cameron is the daughter of Billie, an import/export agent, and Emilio Diaz, an oil company foreman. Cameron is married to guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer Benji Madden , with whom she has two children.
Cameron’s paternal grandparents were of Cuban descent [with Spanish, including Asturian, ancestry]; her father also had one eighth Spanish-Venezuelan ancestry. Cameron’s mother has English, Scottish, Irish, and German ancestry. Cameron has also stated that she has Native American ancestry on her mother’s side (sometimes specified as Cherokee Native American). It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. There are no Native American ancestors, Cherokee or otherwise, in Cameron’s mother’s recent and relatively recent family tree.
Cameron’s paternal grandfather was Emilio Cadiz Diaz Jr. (the son of Emilio F. “El Gato” Díaz and Joaquina “Queenie” Cabranes Cádiz). Cameron’s grandfather Emilio was born in Tampa, Florida. Cameron’s great-grandfather Emilio was a Cuban emigrant, from Havana. Joaquina was also a Cuban emigrant, and was the daughter of a man surnamed Cabranes, and of a Venezuelan emigrant, Antonia Cádiz Sánchez, who was of Spanish descent.
Cameron’s paternal grandmother was Gertrudes Lavin (the daughter of Luis Lavín García and Mercedes Duarte Alonso). Gertrudes was born in Florida. Luis was born in Cuba, to a Spanish-born father, Francisco Felipe Lavín, and a Cuban-born mother, Gertrudes García. Mercedes was also born in Cuba, also to a Spanish-born father, Manuel Duarte, and a Cuban-born mother, Mercedes Alonso.
Cameron’s maternal grandfather was William Marion Early (the son of John Winchester Early and Chloe Kendall Allen). William was born in Missouri. John was the son of William Robin Early and Emma Rozella Fusselman. Chloe was the daughter of Charles Marion Allen and Catherine Delcina/Della Babb.
Cameron’s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Jeanette Waddingham (the daughter of Joseph Herbert Waddingham and Elizabeth Rankin Withers). Cameron’s grandmother Elizabeth was born in California. Joseph was born in Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, the son of Joseph Waddingham, who was born in North Cave, Yorkshire, England, and of Frances Anna Kels/Kells, who was born in Templeport Parish, County Caven, Ireland. Cameron’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in Illinois, to an English father, Richard James Withers, and a mother from Missouri, Nancy/Nannie S. Scott.
Sources: Genealogy of Cameron Diaz – https://gw.geneanet.org
Genealogy of Cameron Diaz (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Cameron’s paternal grandmother, Gertrude/Gertrudes Lavin, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Cameron’s maternal grandfather, William Marion Early, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Cameron’s maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Jeanette Waddingham, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org Elizabeth Jeanette Waddingham on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Cameron’s maternal great-grandmother, Elizabeth Rankin Withers, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org