Cameron Diaz was a rookie in the film industry when she was cast in The Mask in 1994.
Despite her lack of experience, her acting debut catapulted her to stardom and set her on a glittering career path which led to roles in Shrek, My Sister's Keeper and The Holiday, to name a few.
But the big break could have been Anna Nicole Smith's, as unveiled in a new Netflix documentary, Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me. The late model and actress turned down the opportunity 'out of embarrassment' after being offered $50,000 to star alongside Jim Carrey.
What did Cameron Diaz get paid for The Mask?
The Mask raked it in at the box office. According to Forbes, it amassed over $350 million, in comparison to the $23 million budget it was made on.
There is no definitive figure when it comes to how much Cameron, now 50, pocketed for her role as jazz singer Tina Carlyle. But it's thought that Jim Carey was paid $425,000 for his role so we can assume that Cameron was paid less than this being a newcomer to the movie industry.
As of 2023, her net worth is estimated to be $140 million.
What did Anna Nicole Smith say about The Mask?
In the documentary - which tells the story of Anna's life and untimely death in 2007 after an accidental drug overdose - the star is heard telling her management about two job offers that cropped up at the same time.
She referred to leading actor Jim as 'that funny guy' but confessed she was 'embarrassed' to have only been offered $50k to join forces with him. Her agent then advised her to decline the offer.
But it was a decision that played on her mind and one that left her with 'what ifs'.
'She never got over it,' claimed her friend and film producer Ashley Wells Lewis. 'I think it could've set her off the right path. It certainly didn't hurt Cameron Diaz.'
Lamenting her missed opportunity, one fan sympathised, 'Awwww I can only imagine how different the trajectory of her life would have been if she was cast. I love Anna Nicole.'
Another felt as though casting Cameron was the best move though, saying that producers 'got it right'.
A third noted, 'Not shocked bc Cameron’s whole look in that movie def gives Anna now that I think about it. Wow.'