Jamie Foxx will always be in Cameron Diaz‘s corner.
Foxx, 57, served as a big supporter for Diaz, 52, when she made her triumphant return to acting with her first movie in more than a decade, Back in Action, according to the film’s director, Seth Gordon.
“Anyone who was on set will tell you he was the biggest cheerleader and hype man for her, and really for everybody involved, but especially for her,” Gordon, 48, tells PEOPLE exclusively of Foxx and Diaz.
The filmmaker adds that Diaz later supported Foxx throughout his return after the actor had a medical emergency in April 2023, which interrupted filming for a period of time.
“She got to return the favor in that way spiritually,” Gordon says. “It was a very unusual situation to navigate, but it makes a big difference when they have this old friendship, and it’s coming from such a good place.”
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John Wilson/Netflix
Foxx and Diaz previously starred together in 2014’s Annie — the actress’ last film before Back in Action.
The duo first shared the screen in 1999’s Any Given Sunday, which follows a fictional professional football team.
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Back in Action stars Foxx and Diaz as former CIA spies Matt and Emily, “Years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Emily and Matt find themselves dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown,” an official synopsis explains.
Others in the cast of the Netflix film include Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott, McKenna Roberts, Rylan Jackson and Jamie Demetriou.
John Wilson/Netflix
Diaz — who is next expected to return alongside Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy for Shrek 5 in 2026 — previously announced her return to acting in June 2022.
A source close to the star told PEOPLE at the time that she felt “a bit rusty and nervous,” but “mostly excited,” about her comeback. They added that her husband Benji Madden “encouraged her to unretire.”
Foxx later told Entertainment Tonight that he convinced Diaz to come to set by promising her that they’d have fun. “So it was literally, ‘Do you wanna have some fun? Just have some fun!’ And I think that’s what brought her to it,” he explained. “We miss special moments sometimes in our business, and I think this is a special moment. So we’re so happy that it’s happening and looking forward to it.”
In an interview published by Empire on Dec. 13, Diaz revealed that it is “hard to say” if she’ll return for another movie after Back in Action, stating, “I reserve the right to say no to doing a movie ever again, and I reserve the right to say yes if I decide to.”
Back in Action is currently available to stream on Netflix.
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