Since she first burst onto the scene in 1994’s The Mask, our love for Cameron Diaz has never wavered. As the star of comedy classics like There’s Something About Mary, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Charlie’s Angels, Diaz’s dazzling smile became a fixture on screens—and when she ventured into drama, appearing in projects like Vanilla Sky, Being John Malkovich, In Her Shoes, and Gangs of New York, she had audiences similarly captivated with her acting chops.

As she celebrates her 53rd birthday—and as she prepares to reprise her role as Princess Fiona in Shrek 5—revisit Cameron Diaz’s early days in Hollywood.