Kim Novak “Would Never Have Approved” Sydney Sweeney Casting In ‘Scandalous!’: “Totally Wrong To Play Me”
Why it matters: A Hollywood icon's public disapproval of casting sparks a debate on authenticity, representation, and artistic interpretation.
- Kim Novak explicitly stated she "would never have approved" Sydney Sweeney playing her, telling The Times that Sweeney "sticks out so much above the waist" and is "totally wrong" for the role.
- Novak expressed concern that the film will focus too much on sex, despite her and Davis having "so much in common," and offered advice to Sweeney on the asset of being a bipolar actor for vulnerability, a diagnosis Novak revealed in 2013.
- Colman Domingo, the film's director, described 'Scandalous!' as a "fractured love story" and plans to film in summer 2025, aiming for a "beautiful, sweet film" about the possibility of love and the struggle for privacy, a sentiment he believes both he and Sweeney understand well.
- Variety corroborated Novak's strong disapproval, quoting her directly on Sweeney being "totally wrong to play me" and her non-approval of the casting.
Hollywood legend Kim Novak has vehemently disapproved of Sydney Sweeney's casting in Colman Domingo's upcoming film 'Scandalous!', which chronicles Novak's controversial 1957 romance with Sammy Davis Jr. Novak, citing Sweeney's 'sexy' image and her own bipolar diagnosis, fears the film will overemphasize sex and misrepresent her vulnerability, while Domingo envisions a 'beautiful, sweet film' about love and privacy under scrutiny.
