Cameron, The Lovely Ogre

Actress Cameron Diaz is considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood.

And believe it or not, she thinks one of the most beautiful characters she's ever played is a green ogre, Princess Fiona in the animated movie "Shrek." Diaz gives voice to Fiona once again in "Shrek 2."

In "Shrek 2," Diaz sounds a bit nervous, as Princess Fiona introduces her royal parents to her husband, the Ogre of her dreams.

She's a princess with two faces, a beautiful one by day and a less than beautiful one at night, The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith pointgs out. But Diaz disagrees. "I think Fiona's lovely as an ogre. I think she's beautiful, I think she's lovely. She's so soft and feminine and warm."

Audiences have been warming up to Diaz herself for a decade now. She now rivals Julia Roberts, her co-star in "My Best Friend's Wedding," as Hollywood's most sought-after and well-paid female star, making a reported $25 million per picture.

Diaz notes, "Ten years ago, I remember when I did "The Mask" people always ask me, 'Where do you see yourself in 10 years?' And I was, like, 'Oh my God, I can't, next week is so daunting to me. I can't imagine 10 years from now. But whatever I'm doing in 10 years I will be doing something that makes me happy. And I love making films, you know, I love that process."

Would she take a role that didn't pay very well?

"I'd act for free," she says. "I act for free. I get paid for all this other stuff, you know, what I mean? That's really what I consider. I love making movies. I would make movies for free, I would do that, but I, it's a business, I have to do business, too, you know. And the fact is, is that people are making money off these films. So, of course I have to be paid for them. That's ridiculous if I didn't do it."

Part of the reason that Diaz earns top-dollar is she's that rare breed of dramatic actress, who can be convincingly silly on screen as well. Was that the path she ended up choosing?

"I have no choice, I am who I am," she says. "I don't go consciously, like, 'OK, wait a second, if I want to have a career, what can I do? Oh my God, I'll be goofy and then everybody will love me. No, I mean, that doesn't work, obviously, because everybody would just go, 'Oh, gross, what just happened to her.'

"But I made a choice to, like, act, you can't be anything but who you are. I am who I am and I make fun of myself all day long. I don't make fun of other people. I think making fun of other people is mean. If you can't laugh at yourself, then you shouldn't laugh at anybody. So I make fun of myself. It's endless entertainment."

The down side to fame, Diaz says, is the lack of a line between her personal and professional life. She said she feels as if she has to be "on" all the time and is trying to draw a line. To prove it, she neatly avoided answering any questions about the guy she's currently dating.