Kim Novak, the Golden Age actress, has voiced strong objections to Sydney Sweeney portraying her in the upcoming film 'Scandalous!'. The movie, directed by Colman Domingo, depicts Novak's 1957 relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. Novak told The Times that Sweeney is 'totally wrong' for the role.
Kim Novak, a two-time Golden Globe winner known for films like Vertigo, expressed disapproval over Sydney Sweeney's casting as her in Scandalous!, Colman Domingo's directorial debut. The film explores Novak's romance with Sammy Davis Jr., portrayed by David Jonsson, amid 1950s America marked by racism that threatened their careers. Novak told The Times, “There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time. She was totally wrong to play me,” fearing an excessive focus on sex despite their shared interests. She added that Sweeney “sticks out so much above the waist” and declared she “would never have approved” the project. Novak offered advice to Sweeney, saying, “You can’t learn to be vulnerable. It’s a big asset to be a bipolar actor. No one feels joy or pain as much as someone who’s bipolar. The feelings are unstoppable,” referencing her own 2013 bipolar diagnosis. Domingo described Scandalous! as a “fractured love story” about “the possibility of love, but under many eyes, trying to have privacy.” He told Deadline that filming is planned for summer 2025, after wrapping Euphoria Season 3, which premieres April 12 on HBO. The pair met on The Steve Allen Show in 1956 and drew ire from Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn. A Chicago gossip columnist detailed their affair and rumored wedding plans in early 1958, after which Davis married Loray White nine days later. Miramax's project, backed by Patrick Wachsberger’s 193, is heading to the Cannes market.
