Kim Novak's Life in Photos

Mar. 15, 2025

Kim Novak at The Dorchester Hotel, on May 25 1956.Photo:Marshall/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Marshall/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Best known for starring inAlfred Hitchcock’s psychological mysteryVertigoin the 1950s, actressKim Novakspends her time these days with her horses living on the Oregon coast.On Feb. 13, 2024, Novak —who walked away from Hollywoodmore than five decades ago — celebrated her 91st birthday.“She’s spending her birthday having a picnic on her property withfriends and lots of fudge,” her longtime manager and close friend Sue Cameron told PEOPLE at the time.From her successful acting career, her decision to leave the industry and her love of painting, here is a look at a few of the biggest moments in Novak’s life and work.

Best known for starring inAlfred Hitchcock’s psychological mysteryVertigoin the 1950s, actressKim Novakspends her time these days with her horses living on the Oregon coast.

On Feb. 13, 2024, Novak —who walked away from Hollywoodmore than five decades ago — celebrated her 91st birthday.

“She’s spending her birthday having a picnic on her property withfriends and lots of fudge,” her longtime manager and close friend Sue Cameron told PEOPLE at the time.

From her successful acting career, her decision to leave the industry and her love of painting, here is a look at a few of the biggest moments in Novak’s life and work.

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Kim Novak’s Early Life

Kim Novak in 1949.Snap/Shutterstock

Born Marilyn Pauline Novak on Feb. 13, 1933, in Chicago, Ill., Novak began her career as a model for a refrigerator company during her last semester in junior college.

The company toured the country, and during its stop in Los Angeles, Novak stood in as an extra in two films — one being 1954’sThe French Line(starring Jane Russell).

02of 16Kim Novak’s First FilmFred MacMurray as Paul Sheridan and Kim Novak as Lona McLane in ‘Pushover,’ 1954.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty ImagesAfter signing with Columbia Pictures, co-founder and president of the company Harry Cohn insisted that she change her name, as many actresses did at that time.Novak resisted, agreeing to take the name Kim, but insisted on keeping her Czech surname.For her first major role, she starred opposite Fred MacMurray in 1954’sPushoverwhen she was 21 years old.

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Kim Novak’s First Film

Fred MacMurray as Paul Sheridan and Kim Novak as Lona McLane in ‘Pushover,’ 1954.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

After signing with Columbia Pictures, co-founder and president of the company Harry Cohn insisted that she change her name, as many actresses did at that time.

Novak resisted, agreeing to take the name Kim, but insisted on keeping her Czech surname.

For her first major role, she starred opposite Fred MacMurray in 1954’sPushoverwhen she was 21 years old.

03of 16Kim Novak Golden Globe WinKim Novak as Madge Owens in ‘Picnic,’ 1955.Silver Screen Collection/Getty ImagesNovak won her firstGolden Globe Awardin the “star of tomorrow” category in 1955 for her filmPhffft!,in which she acted alongsideJack Lemmon.The actress appeared in many titles that same year, includingThe Man with the Golden ArmwithFrank SinatraandPicnic, opposite Lemmon and Judy Holliday.Picnic, considered one of her best films to date, won twoOscarsand a Golden Globe in 1956.

03of 16

Kim Novak Golden Globe Win

Kim Novak as Madge Owens in ‘Picnic,’ 1955.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Novak won her firstGolden Globe Awardin the “star of tomorrow” category in 1955 for her filmPhffft!,in which she acted alongsideJack Lemmon.

The actress appeared in many titles that same year, includingThe Man with the Golden ArmwithFrank SinatraandPicnic, opposite Lemmon and Judy Holliday.

Picnic, considered one of her best films to date, won twoOscarsand a Golden Globe in 1956.

04of 16Kim Novak inPal JoeyFrank Sinatra as Joey Evans and Kim Novak as Linda English in ‘Pal Joey,’ 1957.EverettNovak starred opposite Sinatra and Rita Hayworth in 1957’sPal Joey, the musical comedy film based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical of the same name.The film earned four Academy Award nominations and several nods at the Golden Globes.Novak was awarded two honors in 1957, winning the Golden Globe Henrietta Award for world film favorite female (James Deanposthumously won for world film favorite male at that same ceremony) and the Golden Apple Award for most cooperative actress.

04of 16

Kim Novak inPal Joey

Frank Sinatra as Joey Evans and Kim Novak as Linda English in ‘Pal Joey,’ 1957.Everett

Novak starred opposite Sinatra and Rita Hayworth in 1957’sPal Joey, the musical comedy film based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical of the same name.

The film earned four Academy Award nominations and several nods at the Golden Globes.

Novak was awarded two honors in 1957, winning the Golden Globe Henrietta Award for world film favorite female (James Deanposthumously won for world film favorite male at that same ceremony) and the Golden Apple Award for most cooperative actress.

05of 16Kim Novak inVertigoJames Stewart as John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson and Kim Novak as Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton in ‘Vertigo,’ 1958.Richard C. Miller/Donaldson Collection/Getty ImagesNovak’s role as both Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton in Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller,Vertigo, is the one for which she’s best known.“I identify so very completely with [Madeleine] because it was exactly what Harry Cohn and what Hollywood was trying to do to me, which was to make me over into something I was not,” Novaktold the Associated Press.She starred alongsideJames Stewartin the film, which received two Academy Award nominations and is widely consideredone of the greatest films of all time.

05of 16

Kim Novak inVertigo

James Stewart as John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson and Kim Novak as Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton in ‘Vertigo,’ 1958.Richard C. Miller/Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

Richard C. Miller/Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

Novak’s role as both Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton in Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller,Vertigo, is the one for which she’s best known.

“I identify so very completely with [Madeleine] because it was exactly what Harry Cohn and what Hollywood was trying to do to me, which was to make me over into something I was not,” Novaktold the Associated Press.

She starred alongsideJames Stewartin the film, which received two Academy Award nominations and is widely consideredone of the greatest films of all time.

06of 16Kim Novak inBell, Book and CandleKim Novak in ‘Bell, Book and Candle,’ 1958.Columbia/Kobal/ShutterstockNovak starred in 1958’sBell, Book and Candle, a romantic comedy based on the 1950 Broadway play of the same name.She starred alongside Stewart and Lemmon in the film which also received two Oscar nominations and one Golden Globe nod.

06of 16

Kim Novak inBell, Book and Candle

Kim Novak in ‘Bell, Book and Candle,’ 1958.Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

Novak starred in 1958’sBell, Book and Candle, a romantic comedy based on the 1950 Broadway play of the same name.

She starred alongside Stewart and Lemmon in the film which also received two Oscar nominations and one Golden Globe nod.

07of 16

Kim Novak’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Kim Novak, circa 1960.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

08of 16

Kim Novak inKiss Me, Stupid

Kim Novak as Polly the Pistol and Dean Martin as Dino in ‘Kiss Me, Stupid,’ 1964.Everett

Everett

Novak starred alongsideDean Martinin 1964’sKiss Me, Stupid— a Billy Wilder-directed sex comedy film that received mixed reviews from critics upon its release.

09of 16Kim Novak’s First MarriageRichard Johnson and Kim Novak at an event in London in 1965.Trevor Humphries/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesNovak married for the first time in 1965 when she wed English actor Richard Johnson. Although they split a year later, the two remained friends.

09of 16

Kim Novak’s First Marriage

Richard Johnson and Kim Novak at an event in London in 1965.Trevor Humphries/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Novak married for the first time in 1965 when she wed English actor Richard Johnson. Although they split a year later, the two remained friends.

10of 16Kim Novak’s Transition to TelevisionKim Novak in a 1986 promotional photo from her time on ‘Falcon Crest’.Mario Casilli/CBS/courtesy Everett CollectionIn 1966, the actress decided to step back from acting as frequently, working only sporadically through the ’70s.In the 1980s, Novak took on the role of Kit Marlowe on the successful soap operaFalcon Crest,appearing in 19 episodes between 1986 and 1987.Fun fact: Kit Marlowe is the name Harry Cohn tried to convince Novak to use when she was starting out in Hollywood.

10of 16

Kim Novak’s Transition to Television

Kim Novak in a 1986 promotional photo from her time on ‘Falcon Crest’.Mario Casilli/CBS/courtesy Everett Collection

Mario Casilli/CBS/courtesy Everett Collection

In 1966, the actress decided to step back from acting as frequently, working only sporadically through the ’70s.

In the 1980s, Novak took on the role of Kit Marlowe on the successful soap operaFalcon Crest,appearing in 19 episodes between 1986 and 1987.

Fun fact: Kit Marlowe is the name Harry Cohn tried to convince Novak to use when she was starting out in Hollywood.

11of 16

Kim Novak’s Second Marriage

Kim Novak and Robert Malloy in November 1986.AP/Shutterstock

Novak wed for a second time to her “soul mate,” veterinarian Robert Malloy, in 1976 after meeting two years prior when he came to care for her horse. As a result of their marriage, she has two stepchildren.

Malloy passed away in November 2020.

12of 16Kim Novak’s Withdrawal from ActingKim Novak as Lillian Anderson Munnsen in ‘Liebestraum,’ 1991.Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett CollectionAfter a disappointing experience on the set ofLiebestraum, Novak decided to withdraw from acting permanently in 1991. That marked her last film to date, with no desire to return.“I lost a sense of who I truly was and what I stood for,” she told PEOPLE in 2021. “I had to leave to survive.”

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Kim Novak’s Withdrawal from Acting

Kim Novak as Lillian Anderson Munnsen in ‘Liebestraum,’ 1991.Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection

After a disappointing experience on the set ofLiebestraum, Novak decided to withdraw from acting permanently in 1991. That marked her last film to date, with no desire to return.

“I lost a sense of who I truly was and what I stood for,” she told PEOPLE in 2021. “I had to leave to survive.”

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Kim Novak’s Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Honor

Kim Novak is immortalized with a hand and footprint ceremony as part of the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on April 14, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt/WireImage

14of 16Kim Novak’s Rare Oscar AppearanceKim Novak at the 86th annual Academy Awards on March 2, 2014, in Los Angeles, Calif.Dan MacMedan/WireImageNovak made a rare appearance at the 86th Academy Awards as a presenter alongsideMatthew McConaughey, where they read the nominees for Best Animated Short Film.“I just have to take a minute to say that I’m really glad to be here. It’s been a long time, but I’m glad to be with the Academy here tonight,” she said onstage.

14of 16

Kim Novak’s Rare Oscar Appearance

Kim Novak at the 86th annual Academy Awards on March 2, 2014, in Los Angeles, Calif.Dan MacMedan/WireImage

Novak made a rare appearance at the 86th Academy Awards as a presenter alongsideMatthew McConaughey, where they read the nominees for Best Animated Short Film.

“I just have to take a minute to say that I’m really glad to be here. It’s been a long time, but I’m glad to be with the Academy here tonight,” she said onstage.

15of 16Kim Novak’s ArtworkKim Novak poses with her painting at a photocall during the Febiofest Prague International Film Festival on March 20, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic.Matej Divizna/Getty Images"People can remember me in movies but I want them to see me as an artist," Novak told PEOPLE in 2021. “What’s great about painting is, you become the director too. No one’s telling you how to do it. You get to direct the whole thing.“The Butler Institute, which hosted an exhibition of her work, also published a book in 2021 with a selection of her paintings titledKim Novak: Her Art and Life.

15of 16

Kim Novak’s Artwork

Kim Novak poses with her painting at a photocall during the Febiofest Prague International Film Festival on March 20, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic.Matej Divizna/Getty Images

“People can remember me in movies but I want them to see me as an artist,” Novak told PEOPLE in 2021. “What’s great about painting is, you become the director too. No one’s telling you how to do it. You get to direct the whole thing.”

The Butler Institute, which hosted an exhibition of her work, also published a book in 2021 with a selection of her paintings titledKim Novak: Her Art and Life.

16of 16Kim Novak’s 90th MilestoneKim Novak attends a photocall for ‘Vertigo’ at Roy Thomson Hall during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 20, 2015, in Toronto, Canada.Taylor Hill/FilmMagicIn February 2023, Novak celebrated a big milestone when she reached her 90th birthday.The performer and artist spoke with PEOPLE about how she feels that she has “become more respected as an actress,” and the legacy of her art.“I think it opens up a whole new avenue of me after I’m gone, which I find exciting — to think that I’m going to live on through my art, and hopefully through movies, of course. It gives me a purpose.““I feel I’ve been meant to stay around,” Novak added, “because with my art, I expressed so much, and when I’m gone it’s going to be fascinating for people to look at my art and figure out what I was saying about my experiences in Hollywood, in my childhood and all of my life.”

16of 16

Kim Novak’s 90th Milestone

Kim Novak attends a photocall for ‘Vertigo’ at Roy Thomson Hall during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 20, 2015, in Toronto, Canada.Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

In February 2023, Novak celebrated a big milestone when she reached her 90th birthday.

The performer and artist spoke with PEOPLE about how she feels that she has “become more respected as an actress,” and the legacy of her art.

“I think it opens up a whole new avenue of me after I’m gone, which I find exciting — to think that I’m going to live on through my art, and hopefully through movies, of course. It gives me a purpose.”

“I feel I’ve been meant to stay around,” Novak added, “because with my art, I expressed so much, and when I’m gone it’s going to be fascinating for people to look at my art and figure out what I was saying about my experiences in Hollywood, in my childhood and all of my life.”

source: people.com