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Hollywood troubleKim Novak doesn't want to be played by Sydney Sweeney
Kim Novak (l.) doesn't want to be cast by Sydney Sweeney in the biopic “Scandalous!” be played.
Imago images/Depositphotos /Jean_Nelson / imago images/Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon/ spoton
In addition to acting, Sydney Sweeney is currently attracting attention through promoting her lingerie brand. She previously gained attention as a model for a jeans company. Now she wants to play Hollywood legend Kim Novak. However, the diva's reaction is devastating.
Hollywood legend Kim Novak is best known for Alfred Hitchcock's film “Vertigo”. In the planned biopic “Scandalous!” She will be played by Sydney Sweeney. The film will tell her love story with entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990) in the 1950s. But the 94-year-old film diva doesn't seem to be at all happy about the actress being asked to portray her at that time. In an interview with The Times of London, Kim Novak expressed sharp criticism and said: “I would never have approved it.”
There's probably more to Novak's resistance than hurt pride. She fears that the film reduces the relationship to its erotic dimension instead of showing what connected Novak and Davis Jr. beyond the physical. In her opinion, Sweeney's charisma is the real problem; the actress apparently has too much sex appeal for her: “There's no way it wouldn't seem like a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney always looks sexy.” Her verdict was brief: “She is completely wrong for my role.”
The fact that Sweeney isn't just an actress who was offered the role shouldn't change much for Novak, on the contrary. The 28-year-old is also a producer on “Scandalous!” and actively helped develop the project. She personally brought US actor Colman Domingo on board as director.
Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Sweeney explained how Colman Domingo was tapped to direct – it will be his debut behind the camera. The two know each other from the series “Euphoria”. It was clear to Sweeney early on: “The only person who can tell this story the way it needs to be told is Colman Domingo.”
So she called him and said, “I don't know if you want to direct it, but I have a script I would send you. If you like it, it's yours.” Domingo read it within hours and reported back: “It’s exactly what I always tell my team that I want to find.” David Jonsson takes on the role of Sammy Davis Jr.
She left it open whether Sweeney had been in contact with Novak herself – but emphasized to “The Hollywood Reporter”: “Colman and she have a really nice relationship. They talk to each other. We made contact.”
Most recently, Sydney Sweeney was in trouble for a bra campaign. In January, the actress climbed the big H of the famous Hollywood sign in the night and fog and hung bras there. This publicity stunt, which Sydney Sweeney apparently used to advertise her own lingerie line, could have legal repercussions for the actress. According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, this alleged advertising campaign was not approved.
Sydney Sweeney had already caused controversy with an advertisement in the summer of 2025. She posed for the American Eagle label under the slogan “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”. The slogan plays on the harmony of the words Jeans and Genes, English for genes. Since good genes were equated with blonde hair and blue eyes in advertising, many observers accused the creators of reproducing racist codes.
It wasn't until months later that Sydney Sweeney spoke out about the scandal. “I do not support the views that some people have associated with the campaign, I am against hate and division,” the registered Republican told People in November 2025.
Sources used: good/spot
