Cameron Diaz is continuing her Hollywood comeback, this time with the Netflix feature “Bad Day.” The production is scheduled to begin filming this fall across New Jersey and New York, and casting calls for local extras are already underway.
The actress, now 53, built her career in the 1990s with performances in The Mask, My Best Friend’s Wedding, There’s Something About Mary, A Life Less Ordinary, and Being John Malkovich. Her later work included Charlie’s Angels, Gangs of New York, The Holiday, Bad Teacher, and the animated Shrek series, in which she voiced Princess Fiona.
Diaz stepped back from the screen following her role as Miss Hannigan in 2014’s Annie. Away from acting, she married Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden in 2015. The couple’s family grew with the birth of daughter Raddix in 2019 and son Cardinal in 2024.
- Cameron Diaz stars in Netflix’s upcoming action comedy Bad Day, filming in New Jersey and New York this fall.
- The film, directed by Jake Szymanski, follows a single mom having the worst day of her life while keeping a promise to her daughter.
- Local extras, especially bicycle riders over 18, are needed for filming on several dates in late September and October.
The Storyline and Creative Team Behind Bad Day
The new Netflix production introduces Diaz as a single mother caught in the middle of an extremely difficult day, trying to fulfill a simple promise made to her daughter. The script was written by Laura Solon and is compared to a comedic spin on Joel Schumacher’s 1993 drama Falling Down, which featured Michael Douglas as a father breaking under pressure while attempting to reach his daughter’s birthday party.
Jake Szymanski, known for directing Jury Duty and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, is set to direct the movie. Producing is Beau Bauman of Good One Productions, who also collaborated with Diaz on Back in Action. Laura Solon and Mark Moran will serve as executive producers. This is the third project Solon and Bauman have partnered on, following Office Christmas Party and Let It Snow.
Casting Call for New Jersey Extras
Most of the filming for Bad Day will take place in New Jersey, with Grant Wilfley Casting leading the search for background performers. The production is particularly looking for participants aged 18 and older who own bicycles, as specific scenes will require them. Tentative filming dates for these extras are September 29 and 30, as well as October 2, 3, 6, and 8.
Interested individuals can sign up through gwci.app/talent or email [email protected].
New Jersey has recently become a hub for Netflix productions. Alongside Bad Day, Jennifer Lopez’s upcoming movie The Last Mrs. Parrish is also casting extras in the area, while Emmy winner Dan Levy’s series Bad Mistakes has been filming in Edison.
Building on the Success of Back in Action
Diaz made her official return earlier this year with Netflix’s Back in Action, where she starred opposite Jamie Foxx, her co-star from Annie. The film centered on a married couple who were former CIA agents. Released in January, it quickly became a hit and is now ranked as Netflix’s sixth most-watched movie of all time, according to Nielsen. The title has accumulated 5.26 billion minutes of viewing within just six months, making it the most-watched original streaming movie of 2024 and the third most-watched across all streaming platforms.
Future Roles for Cameron Diaz
Along with Bad Day, Diaz has several other projects confirmed. She will appear in Jonah Hill’s Apple TV+ feature Outcome and is slated to return as the voice of Princess Fiona in Shrek 5, expected to release in 2027.
Representation for the key creative team includes Diaz with LBI Entertainment and Jackoway Austen, Szymanski with UTA, Mosaic, and Sloane Offer, and Solon with Gersh, Independent Talent Group, and Jackoway Austen.
