Hollywood witnessed an unexpected clash of generations this week when legend Kim Novak dismissed Sydney Sweeney as the wrong choice to play her in the much-awaited biopic “Scandalous!” The project aims to tell the story of her 1950s romance with singer Sammy Davis Jr. Now, speaking with The Sunday Times, the “Vertigo” star said it should never move forward with Sweeney in the lead.
Kim Novak says Sydney Sweeney’s ‘sexy’ image is too much for ‘Scandalous’ movie
Talking about Sydney Sweeney, Kim Novak did not hold back in the interview. She said, “I would never have approved.” “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.” Novak added. Her remarks sparked debate all over social media about body shaming and double standards in Hollywood.
“Scandalous!” was announced last year, with David Jonsson set to play Sammy Davis Jr. and Sweeney as Novak. Producers billed it as a look at one of the era’s most forbidden love stories. Interracial relationships in 1950s Hollywood carried real danger. Novak explained that studio chief Harry Cohn even enlisted mob threats to break up the couple. However, that history has now been overshadowed by Novak’s candid view of the casting.
Novak, who left Hollywood decades ago to paint and raise horses in Oregon, still seems to closely watch over her story. She fears a modern retelling would chase crude moments instead of the shared ambition that drew her and Davis Jr. together. As she told The Times, they had “so much in common.”
Novak’s comments have come as she returns to public view through “Vertigo,” a documentary related to her most famous film role. Besides, she also reflected on the pressure she faced in old Hollywood. She revealed how often people reduced her to looks rather than talent — something she says determined many of her choices.
“Scandalous!” is on the shelf right now, and so is the conversation around legacy and who gets to tell a legend’s story.
Originally reported by Ishika Mishra on Reality Tea.
