By LOUIS B. HOBSON --

NEW YORK -- Cameron Diaz likes the sound of wedding bells.

She just doesn't want to hear them pealing for her any time too soon.

"Eventually I will be married and I'll have children but I don't know when or with whom just yet," says the sultry star of such films as The Mask, Feeling Minnesota and Who's That Girl.

Diaz, 24, has been living with actor Matt Dillon, 33, for more than a year.

"Matt is incredible for me to be with at this moment in my life. He's been an actor for 15 years. He knows what kind of demands the business puts on a person.

"He's not covetous of my time and that's important for an actress.

"Matt and I met a couple of years ago in Minneapolis. He was filming Beautiful Girls and I was filming Feeling Minnesota. I was sort of involved with (Minnesota costar Vincent D'Onofrio) at the time so nothing came of our meeting.

"Then out of the blue a year later, Matt phoned me."

Initially, dating Diaz proved quite taxing. Dillon had been notorious for keeping his private life private.

Diaz wanted their relationship to be public.

"I can't keep a secret especially when I'm happy. I haven't had many relationships so I want people to know when I'm in such a great one."

Diaz became an international model when she was just 16. A year later, she was living with video producer Carlos de la Torre.

They remained together for five years.

"When you're in a serious relationship so young, you don't get to do the normal dating thing. I may be a scatterbrain in many other areas but not when it comes to relationships.

"That's when I get serious."

In My Best Friend's Wedding, Diaz plays the woman whose wedding Julia Roberts is trying to sabotage.

"I'm pretty positive I'd never want to be in the (star) position Julia is in. It puts such restrictions on your personal and professional life.

"Photographers and reporters are hiding behind every bush and pillar trying to catch her off guard.

"When she gets to the movie set, the crew looks to her to set the tone of the set that day. If Julia is in a great mood, so is everyone else.

"She tries so hard to keep everyone on set happy and laughing. She's a great jokester and she laughs a lot."

Diaz is notorious for her braying laugh, her salty language and bawdy jokes.

"I know it's not lady- like but I can't help it.

"I get it from my dad. He's this macho foreman guy and I grew up wanting to be just like him.

"As a kid, I played ball on the street. I'd get in scraps all the time and I'd beat up on guys older than me.

"People think I'm trying to make a fashion statement because I never wear a bra. It's really that I'm a tomboy at heart."


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