Veteran actor Kim Novak has criticized the casting of Sydney Sweeney in the upcoming biopic "Scandalous!," calling the decision "totally wrong" and raising concerns about how her past interracial relationship will be portrayed.
In an interview with The Times of London published Friday, Novak, 93, said she disagreed with Sweeney, 28, taking on the role.
"I would never have approved," Novak said, describing the casting as "totally wrong."
She also commented on Sweeney's appearance, saying the actress "sticks out so much above the waist."
"There's no way it wouldn't be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time," she said, adding, "she was totally wrong to play me."
"Scandalous!" focuses on Novak's 1950s relationship with entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., who will be played by David Jonsson.
Novak has said she worries the film will misrepresent that relationship. In her interview with The Times, she stressed that their connection was based on shared experiences, saying they had "so much in common."
She made similar comments in an August interview with The Guardian, where she pushed back on the idea suggested by the film's title.
"I don't think the relationship was scandalous," she said.
Speaking about Davis, she added, "He's somebody I really cared about. We had so much in common, including that need to be accepted for who we are and what we do, rather than how we look. But I'm concerned they're going to make it all sexual reasons."
Novak also addressed reports about outside pressure that contributed to the end of the relationship.
It has long been claimed that Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn threatened Davis when news of the romance became public in 1957.
Asked about this in the recent Times interview, Novak said, "Oh, I know it was true."
She denied that the two had plans to marry, saying, "No, no. I mean, he loved me. I cared for him deeply. But at that time I never wanted to marry anybody."
Sweeney, for her part, has spoken positively about the role.
In October, she told People, "I'm incredibly honored to be bringing Kim to life. I mean, she is such an amazing actress."
She also said Novak's story still resonates.
"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," she added. "And I think that for me, I relate to it in a lot of different ways."
The film will mark the directorial debut of Sweeney's "Euphoria" co-star Colman Domingo.
Sweeney has said she plans to begin preparing for the role after finishing the show's third season.
"Once I finish 'Euphoria,' I switch into 'Scandalous!' gear and I'm going to turn my brain into Kim," she said. "I'm so excited. I'm like, 'Oh my God. I'm going to meet Kim Novak."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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