At 92, Kim Novak can look back at one of classic Hollywood’s most memorable careers without regretting her decision to leave it behind. The Vertigo star stepped away from the industry decades ago, choosing a quieter life where she could pursue art, care for animals, and express herself on her own terms.
According to People, Now, Hollywood is celebrating her legacy once again. On September 1, Novak will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. A documentary about her life, Kim Novak’s Vertigo, will also have its world premiere at the festival that same day.
Kim Novak Found Freedom After Walking Away From Hollywood
Novak signed with Columbia Pictures when she was 21 and quickly emerged as one of the defining screen stars of the 1950s. She appeared opposite Frank Sinatra in Pal Joey and famously starred alongside Jimmy Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo. However, behind her glamorous image, Novak struggled with the studio system and its attempts to shape her public identity.
She eventually began pulling away from Hollywood, moving to Big Sur in 1966 and later settling in Carmel before relocating to an Oregon ranch in the 2000s. Speaking with The New York Times, Novak explained that leaving the movie business did not mean giving up on life or creativity. Instead, painting gave her a new way to express herself without feeling that other people controlled her image.
The ‘Vertigo’ Star Fought To Hold On To Her Identity
Novak has spoken openly about Hollywood’s pressures, including Columbia Pictures boss Harry Cohn’s attempts to control her image. After his death in 1958, she felt the quality of her roles declined. She later told People that leaving Hollywood was necessary to rediscover herself. Her life afterward centered on painting, animals, and her marriage to veterinarian Robert Malloy, who died in 2020.
