Co-Stars Helped Cameron Diaz Deal With Father's Death

Cameron Diaz's new film, "My Sister's Keeper" is set to be released on June 26. During filming, however, Diaz was going through a difficult time in her personal life. Her father, Emilio, died suddenly from pneumonia. Diaz credits the cast, crew and director for helping her deal with her pain, and for helping her finish the film.

"I was really, really fortunate to have these people to come back to," Diaz told reporters on Friday. "Being able to go back to the group of people who were there waiting for me was a blessing, ... so that's really sort of the only way I was able to do it."

According to People, when her father died, Diaz was absent from the set for two weeks. Director Nick Cassavetes arranged to shoot scenes around Diaz.

"To talk about this subject, you really have to say that people are more important than movies, and we forget that sometimes," Cassavetes said. "We were all stunned to find out that he had died so suddenly and, apparently, he was a hell of a guy and a gigantic influence on Cameron."

When Diaz did return to the set, she had some difficulty going back to work.

"She was like the rest of us – a rag doll and unsure and didn't know what country she was in and truly wasn't fully able to comprehend what had happened to her," Cassavetes said of Diaz. "But, being the consummate professional that she was, she always comes prepared. It was more of an experience of her getting through it and let's finish."

Diaz, however, finished the film, and even ended with jokes and humor. She laughed that she, 36, is now old enough to play the mother of a 16-year-old.

"I'm not 25 anymore," she said. "And, so, it's not something that I'm worried about. I could have had a 16-year-old child – I could. I might have if I was a different person. I always say, 'I'm sure I've got a few out there I don't know about' – Just a joke. Oh, great, I'm going to have to be reading about that one for a long time!"