Cameron Diaz - 'I feel better with age'

Since splitting from Justin, you've been linked to singer John Mayer, PS I Love You actor Gerard Butler and even your long-time ex Matt Dillon. It seems people can't accept that you're just...single.

Cameron Diaz: [Laughs] 'That's Hollywood for you. I tend to steer clear of gossip magazines.'

Never tempted to take a teensy peek?

Cameron Diaz: 'No, I hate reading about other people, as well - it makes me sick to my stomach. The way I see it, if I'm going to believe what they say about somebody else's life, then I have to believe what they write about my life - and I know that stuff isn't real.'

You must want to see what they say about your films, though?

Cameron Diaz: 'Actually, no. Again, if you read reviews of your work and believe the good stuff, you have to be willing to believe the bad, too. So I never read reviews for anything I do.'

So how do you measure your success?

Cameron Diaz: 'It's a personal thing - the relationship I have with my work is how I assess whether or not I've done a good job. What I feel I brought to the collaboration of creating a film. Beyond that, the people that matter most to me are the audience. I'm very fortunate to be recognised by people who see my films. The feedback I get from them is the most valuable I could ever ask for.'

But will you be reading this?

Cameron Diaz: 'Definitely. I'm always curious to see the pictures when I've done a shoot. But I don't take it too seriously. I like to do a good job and hopefully provide an image that people want to see - as I do when I make films. I like to have a good time and I enjoy seeing the way that moment translates from how it was for me when it happened.'

You're 35 now. Does ageing bother you?

Cameron Diaz: 'No way! I'm enjoying it. I feel I get better with age. I mean, sure, I look at pictures of myself when I was 21 and think, 'Wow, I didn't look so bad.' But I take more care of myself now, so in a way I feel like I look better than I did then. I feel good about myself now. Does that make sense?'

Totally. Have you had to make any big changes to your lifestyle?

Cameron Diaz: 'I used to be able to eat and drink anything I wanted - fried chicken, onion rings, half a bottle of wine - then go right to bed. But as you get older, your insides rebel and go, 'Uh-uh, bi-atch! Gonna eat cheese fries? See how you sleep!' And you're tossing and turning all night. I look at girls in their early twenties now and realise the one thing we all have in common is that, if we don't die young, we all get older. Even teenage girls will be 35 one day - and will be looking back at their photos like I do.'

You've said you're happier in your thirties than in your twenties. How come?

Cameron Diaz: 'I feel stronger and more confident. I think as you get older you have much more to offer people. There's great value in knowing what you can offer and I definitely feel there is strength in that. I don't think my 25-year-old self would have been able to provide the same things as I can now.'