Kim Novak Criticizes Casting of Sydney Sweeney in Biopic About Her Relationship with Sammy Davis Jr.

Kim Novak, the 93-year-old actress known for her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film "Vertigo," has publicly objected to the casting of Sydney Sweeney to portray her in an upcoming biographical film titled "Scandalous." The film will focus on Novak's relationship with entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., which developed in the late 1950s. Novak expressed her disapproval in an interview with the British newspaper The Times, stating that Sweeney would be "completely the wrong person" to play her. She voiced concerns that casting Sweeney would lead to an overemphasis on the sexual aspects of her relationship with Davis, noting that Sweeney "always looks sexy." Novak emphasized that her connection with Davis was based on shared experiences and mutual defiance, rather than primarily physical attraction. The relationship between Novak, a white actress, and Davis, a Black performer, was considered scandalous at the time due to pervasive racism in American society. Novak recently presented a documentary about "Vertigo" at the Venice Film Festival in early September, where she received a lifetime achievement award. Sweeney is set to both star in and produce the biopic, but has not yet consulted with Novak about the project. Novak's opposition may also stem from Sweeney's delayed response to a controversial advertising campaign for American Eagle that was interpreted as having racial undertones. The campaign's slogan, "Sydney Sweeney has great Jeans," was seen as a play on the word "genes" and led some supporters of former President Donald Trump to claim Sweeney as an ally, from whom she only distanced herself belatedly.