Cameron Diaz returns to the screen in a zany Brooklyn-set look for Netflix’s Bad Day

Cameron Diaz was spotted filming the Netflix action thriller Bad Day in New York City on Wednesday, signaling a high-profile return to acting after a years-long hiatus. The 53-year-old actress was seen on a Greenpoint street set, walking with a determined pace as cameras captured her in the middle of a scene.

Diaz drew attention for a quirky, eye-catching outfit that looked like it belonged to a character rather than a typical red-carpet choice. She wore a camouflage print vest layered over a track jacket, paired with denim Bermuda shorts and pink striped tights. Off-white trainers and a bright red bucket hat completed the ensemble, while Diaz’s hair remained styled in loose blonde waves as she adjusted her hat and checked her wrist as if timing a beat in the scene. The look was intentionally zany, yet the star’s makeup appeared polished, underscoring that the moment was a deliberate performance on set.

Details about the exact sequence being filmed remained under wraps, but the material suggested Diaz’s character would be navigating a sidewalk encounter with purpose, at times glancing at her watch as she moved with a determined stride. The public sighting comes as Diaz prepares for a Netflix comeback project that follows her first feature since stepping back from Hollywood in 2018 to focus on family. Bad Day follows a single mother who must confront a devastating day while attempting to keep a small promise to her daughter, according to materials associated with the project.

The film’s cast also includes Danielle Brooks, Ed O’Neill and John Higgins, and it is positioned within Netflix’s evolving slate of action-thriller titles. The project’s premise, circulated by IMDb, centers on resilience in the face of overwhelming pressure, a thread that Diaz’s character appears poised to embody as production continues in New York.

Diaz’s appearance on set comes less than a year after the release of Back In Action, her Netflix release with Jamie Foxx that marked her return to the screen after stepping away from acting. In recent interviews, Diaz has spoken about returning to acting in part to collaborate with Foxx again, recounting a conversation she had with Empire magazine in which she explained: "What? Jamie asked? Jamie? Oh, I can do a movie with Jamie! Seriously. I had other opportunities along the way and I was always saying 'No. I’m not doing it, I’ve told you... What? Jamie asked? Jamie?'"

The public focus on Diaz’s return is complemented by her offscreen life. She walked away from Hollywood in 2018 to spend more time with her husband, rocker Benji Madden, and their children. The couple’s daughter, Raddix, was born in December 2018, and last year they welcomed a son, Cardinal. The renewed attention on Diaz comes as fans eagerly anticipate how her screen presence will translate to a new Netflix project and whether Bad Day will mark a sustained return to major-film roles.

While the specifics of Diaz’s scenes for Bad Day remain under wraps, the Brooklyn shoot aligns with Netflix’s pattern of filming in urban environments to ground its action thrillers in lived-in locations. Diaz’s return to acting has been described by her friends and collaborators as a deliberate choice to pursue roles that resonate with her interests, including the chance to work again with Foxx, who previously paired with her on the action-comedy Any Given Sunday.

As production continues, industry watchers will be watching not only for the film’s plot twists but also for how Diaz’s distinctive screen presence evolves after her long hiatus. The Bad Day project joins a crowded field of high-profile streaming titles, yet Diaz’s involvement adds a personal dimension for audiences familiar with her work over the past two decades. The production schedule and release window for Bad Day have not been publicly announced, but the film is positioned to be a notable addition to Netflix’s growing catalog of prestige projects in the action-thriller genre.