Vertigo Legend Says Sydney Sweeney Should Never Play Her — Here’s Why
Vertigo icon Kim Novak is blasting Sydney Sweeney’s casting in the upcoming biopic Scandalous!, saying she would never have approved and claiming the actress “sticks out so much above the waist.”
Kim Novak is not into Sydney Sweeney playing her in Scandalous!, and she just explained why — bluntly. The 93-year-old Vertigo icon spoke to The Times this weekend and took direct aim at both the casting and the way her life might be portrayed. Buckle up.
What Novak said now
In a new interview published Saturday, March 28, Novak zeroed in on Sweeney’s look and whether Sweeney can tap into what Novak went through personally. She did not mince words:
"[Sydney] sticks out so much above the waist... 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."
"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."
Quick context on that last part: Novak publicly shared her bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2012, and she’s now questioning whether Sweeney — who is 28 — can capture that inner life on screen.
What the movie actually is
Scandalous! is a romantic drama about Novak’s real relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. in the late 1950s. Colman Domingo is directing and co-starring with Sweeney — they’re both from Euphoria — and the plan is to set their passion against the very real racial segregation of the era. Davis died in May 1990 at 64 from complications of throat cancer.
This has been brewing for a while
Novak hasn’t exactly been cheering this project on. When Miramax picked it up in October 2024, she voiced concern. By last September, she was pushing back on the title too, telling The Guardian she didn’t consider her relationship with Davis "scandalous," that she cared deeply for him, and she worried a movie would reduce it to something purely sexual — which, based on today’s remarks, is still her fear.
Where Sweeney stands
Last fall at AFI Fest (October 2025 ), Sweeney told People she hoped to meet Novak before filming, called it an honor to play her, and said Novak’s story still hits today: dealing with Hollywood scrutiny, public vs. private life, and the tug-of-war over image. She also said she planned to wrap Euphoria and then flip straight into Scandalous! mode — and yes, she sounded genuinely excited about finally meeting Novak.
Production status
Scandalous! is expected to shoot this year. No release date yet.
- Project: Scandalous! — romantic drama based on Kim Novak and Sammy Davis Jr.’s late-1950s relationship
- Director/co-star: Colman Domingo
- Star: Sydney Sweeney (28)
- Subject: Kim Novak (93); publicly shared bipolar diagnosis in 2012
- Key Novak objections (Mar 28, 2026, The Times): Sweeney’s look makes the romance feel over-sexualized; doubts Sweeney can portray her vulnerability tied to bipolar disorder
- Earlier pushback: Miramax picked it up in Oct 2024; by Sept 2025 Novak objected to the title and worried the film would reduce the relationship to sex
- Sweeney’s stance (Oct 2025, AFI Fest/People): honored to play Novak; sees the story as relevant; planned to meet Novak and start after Euphoria
- Context note: Sammy Davis Jr. died in May 1990 at 64 from complications of throat cancer
- Status: Filming expected this year; no release date