Kim Novak Says Sydney Sweeney Is ‘Totally Wrong’ for Her Role in ‘Scandalous!’ Biopic

Hollywood icon Kim Novak spoke candidly in an interview with The Times of London on March 28, sharing her unfiltered views on Scandalous!, the upcoming biopic directed by Colman Domingo, which explores her controversial 1950s relationship with Sammy Davis Jr.

Novak expressed strong disapproval of Sydney Sweeney’s casting as her younger self in the film. The Vertigo star said she would not have approved the choice, adding that the actress “sticks out so much above the waist.”

She went further to state that Sweeney is “totally wrong” for the role and insisted, “she could never play me.” Despite her typically low public profile in recent years, Novak did not hold back in her criticism of the casting decision.

And the casting critique isn’t just about looks. Novak has a larger, more substantive concern baked into it: she’s worried that Scandalous! is going to steamroll the genuine emotional complexity of her relationship with Davis in favor of something far more salacious.

“There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time,” Novak told The Times. “She was totally wrong to play me.”

The subtext here is hard to miss. Novak wants the world to know that she and Davis — who met in 1956 as guests on The Steve Allen Show — had “so much in common,” and she fears the film will focus too much on the sexual dynamic between them rather than the depth of what they shared.

For context, their relationship was a genuine powder keg in 1950s America. Novak and Davis were at the peak of their star power when they met, and as rumors spread, the rampant racism in America threatened to derail both of their careers. The affair was reportedly broken up by Columbia Pictures boss Harry Cohn, who threatened Davis with mob violence over the interracial relationship. That’s a story with actual stakes — and Novak clearly doesn’t want it flattened into a sexed-up awards-bait romp.

Novak, who revealed her bipolar diagnosis in 2013, also offered Sweeney some unsolicited acting advice: “You can’t learn to be vulnerable. It’s a big asset to be a bipolar actor. No one feels joy or pain as much as someone who’s bipolar. The feelings are unstoppable.”

Sweeney, for her part, has been nothing but gracious about the role — perhaps too gracious, given how this is going. She told People in October 2025 that she’s “incredibly honored” to lead the film, adding, “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.”

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if she’d met Novak, Sweeney didn’t answer directly, but noted: “Colman and her have a really beautiful relationship. They’ve been talking. We connected them, so it’s been really cool.”

Cool! Very cool! Definitely not awkward at all!

Domingo, making his feature directorial debut with Scandalous!, has described the film as a “fractured love story.” He previously told Deadline they planned to shoot in summer 2025, adding: “And then hopefully we’ll make a beautiful, sweet film that’s really about the possibility of love, but under many eyes, trying to have privacy, trying to have love, trying to have a life.”

It’s worth noting this is not the first time Novak has pushed back on the project. As early as 2025, when the film was first announced, she questioned its very title, rejecting the idea that her relationship with Davis could be reduced to something “scandalous.” The woman has been consistent, if nothing else.

Sweeney previously paid tribute to Novak at the 2025 Met Gala, wearing a black Miu Miu dress similar to one Novak wore in 1967’s The Legend of Lylah Clare. A sweet gesture, sure — but apparently not sweet enough to win over the original.