Kim Novak 'would never have approved' Sydney Sweeney to play her as she slams casting for upcoming movie

Olivia Burke
2026-03-29T12:12:18.844Z
Entertainment

The actress, 93, said that casting the Euphoria star to play her was the 'totally wrong' decision

Hollywood heavyweight Kim Novak isn't best pleased that Sydney Sweeney is stepping into her shoes for an upcoming biopic.

The actress, 93, reckons that casting the Euphoria star to play her was the 'totally wrong' decision.

She has now announced that she 'would never' have signed off on it if it was up to her, despite Sweeney saying she was 'incredibly honoured' to portray her.

The film Scandalous is set to delve into Novak's relationship with jazz legend Sammy Davis Jr and it will mark Colman Domingo's directorial debut.

Sweeney is set to star alongside The Long Walk actor David Jonsson in the flick, although it is rumoured that production has stalled.

Novak has now expressed concerns about both the casting and the contents of Scandalous in a new interview.

Novak said she would 'never have approved' of Sweeney starring as her (Alessandro Levati/Getty Images)

Describing her hush-hush relationship with David Jr, the Vertigo actress said that he 'loved' her and she 'cared for him deeply'.

She then moved on to discuss why she doesn't think that Sweeney, 28, is the best woman for the job to tell this story on the big screen.

"I would never have approved," Novak told The Times, before suggesting that the Washington-native 'sticks out so much above the waist'.

The actress said she is also worried that the film will focus on the sexual aspect of her romance with David Jr, rather than the connection they shared.

Explaining that she had 'so much in common' with the late music star, Novak went on: "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, on the other hand, said she was thrilled by the prospect of playing Novak in Scandalous.

The 28-year-old is set to star alongside David Jonsson in Scandalous (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Lionsgate)

"I'm incredibly honoured to be bringing Kim to life," she told People in October last year. "I mean, she is such an amazing actress.

"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 said she intended to 'turn her brain into Kim' after she had wrapped up filming for Euphoria, adding: "I'm so excited. I'm like, 'Oh my God. I'm going to meet Kim Novak'."

Sweeney also previously discussed her struggle to feel comfortable in her body while growing up due to the size of her breasts.

"I grew up with boobs," she told Us Weekly earlier this month. "I was wearing a 32DD in sixth grade, and I never felt confident. I never had anything I felt good in, and I just wanted to hide."

She said her role as Cassie Howard helped her realise 'it’s actually powerful to be confident', saying: "Our bodies are incredible. We should embrace [them] and feel really good in our skin."