Legendary actress Kim Novak has publicly objected to Sydney Sweeney being cast to portray her in the upcoming film Scandalous!, saying Sweeney is “totally wrong” for the role and warning the movie may overemphasize the sexual side of her relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. The exchange has revived questions about who gets to tell older stars’ stories and how Hollywood frames interracial romances from the past.
What Novak said
In an interview with the Times of London this week, Novak — now in her 90s — was blunt about Sweeney’s selection. She said the 28-year-old actress “sticks out so much above the waist” and added, “She was totally wrong to play me.” Novak also repeated concerns she has voiced previously: that the project risks reducing her real-life relationship with Davis Jr. to sensational sexual elements rather than the shared connection the pair had.
Why Novak cares
Novak has long been protective of how her image and private life are portrayed. She has spoken in the past about unrealistic beauty standards and the harms of over-editing images, arguing that public figures can and should push back on narrow portrayals of women. That history helps explain her alarm at a film treatment she believes could miss the fuller context of her life and choices.
Sydney Sweeney’s response and preparation
Sweeney, who will star opposite British actor David Jonsson as Sammy Davis Jr., has expressed a very different view. On the Met Gala red carpet she wore a Miu Miu gown she said was inspired by Novak’s look in The Legend of Lylah Clare, calling the outfit an homage. She has also told People she is “incredibly honored” to play Novak and believes Novak’s story remains “very relevant” given Hollywood’s long history of policing actors’ private lives.
Page Six reports that Sweeney’s camp had not responded at the time to Novak’s latest public comments.
Context: the film and the history
- Scandalous! is set to be directed by Colman Domingo; filming has not yet begun.
- The film explores Novak’s romance with Sammy Davis Jr., which took place in 1957 and ended amid pressure from Columbia Pictures executive Henry Cohn, who reportedly worried about the commercial fallout of an interracial relationship.
- David Jonsson is attached to play Davis Jr.
Reaction and what’s next
The exchange adds fuel to broader industry debates about casting older public figures and the responsibilities of filmmakers when dramatizing sensitive real-life relationships. Fans and industry observers on social channels have split between supporting Novak’s insistence on fidelity to her story and backing Sweeney’s enthusiasm for the role.
For now, the concrete next steps are simple: Scandalous! still needs to move into production, and the filmmakers will face decisions about tone, scope and how closely to heed Novak’s concerns. Given Novak’s outspokenness and Sweeney’s visible preparations, the casting controversy is likely to follow the project into preproduction and marketing.
Expect more comments from the parties involved as the film’s development progresses and as public conversation about representation and historical narratives continues.