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American Morning

Showbiz Today Reports: Cameron Diaz Discusses 'Shrek' Role

Aired June 12, 2001 - 11:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LAURIN SYDNEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the biggest question of the summer: Will Angelina Jolie be able to fill the work boots and the cat suit of video game heroine Lara Croft? Hollywood turned out last night to find out the answer to that question at the premiere of "Tomb Raider." The action-packed summer flick stars Jolie as the cyber sex symbol. The actress -- you know, the one who wears a amulet with husband Billy Bob Thornton's blood in it around her neck -- told "Showbiz Today Reports" that making the video game-based film was a team effort.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTOR: This is a lot of hard work in the last year for a lot of people that became really good friends of mine, me and all the people who worked on this film, down to all the guys the sets, that are amazing, and worked so hard building over the night. For everybody involved, I'm so proud because I think we did OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SYDNEY: Another computer-generated heroine is making big bucks at the box office. Cameron Diaz stars in "Shrek," as the princess the green ogre rescues and then, of course, falls in love with. The flesh-and-blood Diaz sat down with the very real Lauren Hunter to talk about why making "Shrek" was just so much fun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How close were you to Fiona?

CAMERON DIAZ, ACTOR: Well, I liked Fiona a lot. I think that I'm close to her in the way of just being the princess who's read too many fairy tales, kind of, but totally capable of taking care of myself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MYERS, ACTOR: You're not exactly what I expected.

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DIAZ: I like the idea of the romance. I like the idea of the Prince Charming. HUNTER: She's expecting this prince to rescue her and to have all of those elements of the fable and smoothing out the gown, everything, before he comes, and then it's a whole different reality.

DIAZ: Right, right, totally. She's completely getting herself, setting herself up, and then she's just like, what?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: Now remove your helmet.

MYERS: Look, I really don't think this is a good idea.

DIAZ: Just take off the helmet.

MYERS: I'm not going to.

DIAZ: Take it off!

MYERS: No.

DIAZ: Now!

MYERS: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: She learns very quickly that just because he doesn't look like her prince, doesn't mean he can't be her prince.

HUNTER: The story is very sweet at the end. Was that a selling point for you?

DIAZ: I loved that, absolutely, because the end of the movie is the message, that she can accept herself and love herself and accept Shrek and love him for who he is rather than what he looks like, that they're brought together because of that.

HUNTER: Do you ever find that to be a tough balance, though, in this town, where so much is determined on one's appearance?

DIAZ: Yes, I think that a lot people get caught up in it, definitely. You know, it's easy to get caught up in the whole thing of image and feeling like you have to look a certain way and be a certain way, and I think that's, you know, it's just bred in our society, we've bred ourselves to become this creature that has to sort of be perfect or not be accepted. And especially in this business, it's really out of control.

But that's why I loved this film; it's an opportunity maybe to get in there at a ground level, at young kids, and sort of implant that into their minds and their consciousnesses.

HUNTER: Tell me a little bit about the animation. This is the first film that you've done that's animated, isn't it?

DIAZ: Yes, my first experience with animated film. It was really wild to watch that process and be a part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: You're amazing, you're wonderful, you're a little unorthodox -- I'll admit -- but...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

We had a really great time.

HUNTER: Thank you so much.

DIAZ: Thank you. Nice to see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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