M10News — Former Hollywood star Kim Novak has spoken candidly about growing old, her decision to walk away from fame, and the freedom
Now 92, the Vertigo actress admits age has made her reflect on her life choices. In a new documentary, Kim Novak’s Vertigo, she says she feels “the end is near,” but insists she is at peace with the path she chose.
Novak was one of the most sought-after actresses of the 1950s and 60s, starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Vertigo and the romance Picnic. Yet in 1966, at what many saw as the height of her career, she turned her back on Hollywood.
She recalls fearing the destructive side of the industry, pointing to the fate of stars such as Marilyn Monroe. “I didn’t want to be consumed by it,” Novak reflects in the film.
Her exit coincided with personal upheaval after her Bel Air home was lost to a mudslide. Rather than rebuild in Los Angeles, she relocated to Big Sur, embracing a quieter life and a new passion: painting.
“Art saved me,” Novak explains. “Leaving Hollywood meant waking up and finally living for myself, not for anyone else.”
She describes her first morning outside the industry as one of complete liberation — surrounded by nature, she picked up her easel and began painting. “That was paradise,” she recalls.
The documentary portrays Novak as more than a screen icon. Her manager, Sue Cameron, says it reveals the real woman who resisted pressure from studios.
Novak refused lucrative book deals because publishers wanted gossip. “That’s not who I am,” she told them. Instead, the film highlights her quiet defiance — from rejecting strict make-up rules to launching her own production company.
Cameron calls her “one of the last great golden-era stars, but also a fighter for independence long before it was fashionable.”
Decades on, Novak says she has no regrets about stepping away. The fame, she insists, could never match the sense of peace she found in Big Sur.
