Netflix’s Back in Action brings Cameron Diaz out of a self-imposed retirement, and it reteams her with Jamie Foxx, someone she has worked with twice before joining him in their latest action comedy, which is now streaming on the platform. Diaz’s last theatrical film before she took a step back from acting was a movie adaptation of the musical Annie, another film that featured her alongside Foxx, but their union goes further back than 2014.
Back in 1999, both actors found themselves in Oliver Stone’s 1999 sports drama, Any Given Sunday. It was a pivotal film for both Foxx and Diaz as they were both trying to break out of more comedic roles into something more serious. The movie proved successful for the pair and likely went a long way to show audiences and other filmmakers that they could do more than make moviegoers laugh.
‘Any Given Sunday’ Is Based on a Novel

Any Given Sunday

Release Date

December 22, 1999

Runtime

162 minutes

Main Genre

Sport

Directed by Stone from a screenplay he wrote with John Logan, Any Given Sunday is loosely based on the 1984 novel On Any Given Sunday by NFL defensive end Pat Toomay and follows the fictional football team, the Miami Sharks, who are currently struggling, being led by their coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino). He’s aging out of his role and still maintains integrity for the game and its legacy players, while the team’s owner and general manager, Christina Pagniacci (Diaz), sees dollar signs and its future through new and emerging talent, most notably an unproven quarterback named Willie Beamen (Foxx) who is forced to step up when their starting quarterback and team captain Jack Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is injured.
Christina already wants to dump Jack because, while a legend, he’s facing multiple injuries and conflicts with the team’s higher-ups. Tony has to navigate a losing season and changing politics as Willie begins to change the team’s fortunes but at the cost of Tony’s self-worth and love for the game. The film also stars James Woods, LL Cool J, Ann-Margret, Lauren Holly, Matthew Modine, John C. McGinley, Charlton Heston, Bill Bellamy, Lela Rochon, Aaron Eckhart, Elizabeth Berkley, Jim Brown, and Lawrence Taylor.
Jamie Foxx Had Never Played Drama Before ‘Any Given Sunday’

Prior to Any Given Sunday, Foxx hadn’t shown an aptitude for dramatic projects. He became known by many in 1991 when he joined the cast of the sketch comedy series In Living Color, a show that showcased his diverse range of comedic characters, most notably the popular Wanda, who became an audience favorite. He would eventually go on to star in his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show, which ran from 1996 to 2001 on the WB network. In film, Foxx maintained a comedic presence in projects such as 1997’s Booty Call and 1999’s Held Up, but in the same year as the latter, he would appear in Stone’s Any Given Sunday, giving him a chance to display an aspect of his talents he hadn’t had the opportunity to do before.

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Initially, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs was cast as Willie Beamen but had to drop the role as rumors swirled that he couldn’t convincingly throw a football (looking at him now, they most certainly dodged a bullet). Will Smith was then offered the role but ultimately turned it down, while Cuba Gooding Jr. also met with Stone for the part. He would miss out because Stone didn’t want to cast him as a football player again following his Oscar-winning turn in Jerry Maguire. All this happened for Foxx to land his audition for Any Given Sunday, but the part would turn out to be difficult for the actor as Stone would challenge Foxx’s desire to truly shine in movies.
During the Hall H panel for Django Unchained in 2012, Foxx recounted his audition for the film (via The Hollywood Reporter), and Stone was decidedly tough with him, almost as if to pull something out of Foxx that he didn’t know that he had. Foxx said, “I worked with Oliver Stone, who said, ‘you’re just not good at all, are you?” I was coming from TV, this was Any Given Sunday, and everything I said was really loud, because TV was loud.” The actor said Stone expressed, “You suck when you do that,” and Foxx said the prolific director told him, “You’ve got to get better before I hire you.”
The tough love paid off for Foxx, who managed to use his comedic charisma in the role of Beamen, who goes from being on the bench to a megastar on the field. His narcissism gets the best of him, resulting in the character performing a song called “My Name is Willie” due to his newfound success as the head quarterback for the Miami Sharks. That shows one side of Foxx’s talents, but where he truly shines in the film is during a heated exchange with Pacino’s Tony D’Amato. During the scene, Beamen discusses how racism played a role in him being denied opportunities, something that has been afforded to him now that Jack has been hurt. It’s a poignant scene for Foxx, who showcases power and range against a veteran like Pacino without blinking an eye. Every actor has a moment in a film that breaks them out, and this was the one for Foxx.
Cameron Diaz Holds Her Own Against the Likes of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday

Diaz has her fair share of moments with Pacino as well, proving that she could more than hold her own in a shouting match with one of Hollywood’s loudest voices. Before Any Given Sunday, Diaz was the darling of light rom-coms and other genre comedies, such as The Mask, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and There’s Something About Mary. In 1999, the actress was given two opportunities to showcase her range (leading with Being John Malkovich), but it was Any Given Sunday that had her in key scenes with a titan.

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In one scene, as they argue about the direction of the team, Diaz asserts her authority as the team’s owner and general manager as she shoots down Tony’s attempts to lead the team the way he chooses. In portraying Christina, Diaz had to exude the confidence of a woman in charge of a game that is dominated by men, and she more than holds her own. Oddly enough, she only really shares one pivotal moment with Foxx as she enters the locker room full of naked men without even blinking an eye. Christina is frequently in charge, and Diaz portrays a woman who doesn’t let anything stand in her way. In his review for ReelViews, James Berardinelli hit the nail on the head as to why Diaz is so good in the film.

“Perhaps the real revelation is Cameron Diaz, who goes toe-to-toe with Pacino, matching his every profane utterance with one of her own. Diaz, who often plays soft roles (although there have been exceptions, such as her part in Very Bad Things), gets a chance to really turn nasty. Her confrontations with Pacino are some of the film’s highlights.”

She also shows a side of the character that explains her brashness in her field. Since she inherited the team from her father, she feels she has to prove herself in what is essentially a boys’ club, which has certainly killed a part of her spirit. During a pivotal scene with her mother, played by Ann-Margret, this notion is addressed, and Diaz displays cracks and vulnerability that give the character necessary layers.
It’s interesting to see that their first film together proved pivotal for both of their careers. Foxx would go on to eventually win an Oscar for Ray (while also being nominated in the supporting category for Collateral), while Diaz would bounce around from serious roles (Gangs of New York, Vanilla Sky) and her typical light fare (The Holiday, Charlie’s Angels) all while building up four Golden Globe nominations and becoming one of Hollywood’s most bankable actresses. It all started with Stone’s football drama and a chance for both actors to break down the assumptions about their talents. Any Given Sunday is available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Google Play. Back in Action is streaming on Netflix.