Kim Novak did not hold back in criticizing the casting of Sydney Sweeney to portray her in the biopic Scandalous!, which will depict Novak’s romance with Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1950s.
In an interview with The Times, published last Friday (27), Novak called the casting “completely wrong.” “I would never have approved it,” the actress admitted to the outlet.
According to Novak, the Euphoria actress “stands out too much from the waist up.” Previously, the Picnic star had already expressed concern that the film would focus too much on the “daring” side of their relationship, even though she and Davis had “a lot in common,” she emphasized to The Times.
Previously, Sweeney had already expressed her enthusiasm about starring as Novak in Scandalous!, which will mark actor Colman Domingo’s directorial debut. “I am incredibly honored to bring Kim to life. I mean, she is an incredible actress,” she told People magazine in October 2025.
“I think her story is still very relevant today, especially in how she dealt with Hollywood and the scrutiny surrounding her relationships, her private life, and control over her image. And I think, for me, I relate to that in many different ways.”
In August last year, Novak gave an interview to The Guardian and even criticized the film’s title. “I don’t think the relationship was scandalous. [Davis] is someone I truly cared about,” Novak told the outlet. “We had a lot in common, including the need to be accepted for who we are and what we do, rather than how we look.”
The relationship between Novak and Davis ended due to external pressure, including from the head of Columbia Pictures, Harry Cohn. There are rumors that Cohn even threatened Davis with the mafia when news of their relationship became public in 1957.
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Photo: Public domain / Instagram @sydney_sweeney. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
