Hollywood sex symbol Kim Novak has spoken out against Sydney Sweeney playing her in a biopic because she's too "sexy."
Legendary actress of Hollywood's golden age and 1950s sex symbol Kim Novak was dissatisfied with the casting of Sydney Sweeney in the upcoming biopic "Scandalous." In an interview with The Times, the 93-year-old actress said Sydney Sweeney was "completely unsuitable" because her image was always overly sexualized. Interestingly, in the 1950s, Kim Novak herself was considered one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols and a direct competitor to Marilyn Monroe.
The biopic "Scandalous" will be based on the real-life romance between Kim Novak and actor Sammy Davis Jr. According to Novak, their romance was built not on physical attraction, but on a deep spiritual connection. The actress fears that the film will focus solely on the sexual dynamic due to the 28-year-old Sweeney's characterization, which will distort the true story of their relationship.
Novak and Davis's romance in the 1950s scandalized conservative Hollywood, as interracial relationships were tacitly taboo at the time. The lovers were often seen together, and in 1958, the press even reported on their impending wedding, but the actor soon married another woman. The actress herself calls their relationship "deep and complex, but not carnal."
As a reminder, the project was announced in 2024, and Sweeney was cast in the lead role at the same time. British actor David Johnson will play Sammy Davis Jr., and Sweeney's Euphoria co-star Colman Domingo will direct.
Despite the criticism, Sweeney herself had previously spoken enthusiastically about the upcoming role. In October 2025, she said she was honored to play Novak. "I think her story is still relevant today. She faced intense scrutiny of her personal life and control over her image. I can relate to that in so many ways," the actress shared in an interview with People.
Kim Novak is far from the first to criticize Sydney Sweeney for her overly sexualized image. The actress is regularly accused of reducing her image solely to her appearance, while she actively exploits it. In 2025, she found herself at the center of a scandal after a provocative advertisement for American Eagle jeans, which featured a play on the words "jeans" and "genes." Sweeney was accused of promoting an "Aryan appearance" and practically eugenics. Sydney herself counters: her body is her business, and critics simply don't understand that a woman can simultaneously look sexy and be a serious dramatic actress.
Photo: Francois Durand, Monica Schipper/Getty Images; still from the film "Vertigo," still from a photo shoot/"Kinopoisk"; sydney_sweeney, syrn/Instagram**
