Kim Novak has rejected the idea of Sydney Sweeney portraying her in a planned biopic, explaining why she believes the casting doesn’t fit.
Sydney Sweeney’s career moves tend to generate plenty of interest, with fans eager to see what she’ll take on next.
However, Novak has made it clear she doesn’t think Sweeney is the right choice to play her in the upcoming film Scandalous.
The movie centres on Novak’s past relationship with entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., focusing on the pair’s connection against the backdrop of Hollywood at the time.
Speaking to the Times of London, Novak shared her concerns about both the project itself and the casting, saying she never would have signed off on it.
The film is set to star Sweeney as Novak and David Jonsson as Davis, with Colman Domingo directing.
Novak said: “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.
“[Sweeney] sticks out so much above the waist.”
Novak also suggested the film could place too much emphasis on sex appeal, rather than reflecting what she described as the deeper foundation of their relationship.
According to Novak, their closeness came from shared similarities and understanding, not just physical attraction.
Despite Novak’s criticism, Sweeney has spoken enthusiastically about taking on the role, describing it as an honour and noting how Novak’s experiences still feel timely.
Speaking to People in October last year, she said: “I think her story is still very relevant today in that she dealt with Hollywood and scrutiny with her relationships and her own private life and the control of her image. And I think that for me, I relate to it in a lot of different ways.”
She added: “Once I finish Euphoria, I switch into Scandalous! gear and I’m going to turn my brain into Kim. I’m so excited. I’m like, ‘Oh my God. I’m going to meet Kim Novak.”
Sweeney is expected to fully commit to preparation for the part, as she has done with other recent roles.
She drew attention lately for the physical transformation and training she undertook to play boxer Christy Martin in the film Christy.
Discussing the mindset challenges that came with the training, she said: “Whenever I would go on set, especially when I had some of my boxing scenes, I would call my trainer and say, ‘I don’t feel big enough. I feel small.’ And I was getting in my head and I wasn’t feeling like I gained enough.
“And he was like, ‘This is actually what happens to a lot of bodybuilders before a tournament. They feel small, they get in their head, and it’s all mental games.’ So it was learning a lot about trying to get over that.”