Kim Novak may have retired from the world of acting and Hollywood over three decades ago, but her legacy remains everlasting. And it is set to be honored later this year.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the 82nd Venice Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia, slated to take place from August 27 to September 6, will honor the film icon, 92, with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
The appearance in Venice, which Kim has confirmed she will visit in her statement after receiving the honor, will mark a return to the red carpet for the renowned “Hitchcock blonde,” who last appeared at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival for a screening of Vertigo.
© Getty ImagesKim Novak will be honored by the Venice Film Festival later this year
Her statement reacting to the award reads: “I am deeply, deeply touched to receive the prestigious Golden Lion Award from such an enormously respected film festival.”
“To be recognized for my body of work at this time in my life is a dream come true. I will treasure every moment I spend in Venice. It will fill my heart with joy.” The festival will also host the world premiere screening of the documentary Kim Novak’s Vertigo by Alexandre Philippe.
The star retired from acting in 1992 after making the 1991 mystery Liebestraum, which she recalled as a disappointing filming experience. She then threw herself into her other passions, most notably poetry and visual arts.
© Getty ImagesHer appearance will be her first red carpet in a decade, since TIFF in 2015
Kim is also a renowned painter, with a gallery of her paintings last on display at The Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio in 2024. The Bell, Book and Candle star attended the opening of the exhibition, titled “KIM NOVAK: Unmasked Emotions” last June.
A statement she shared with the museum at the time read: “Since childhood I have looked at life through the magnifying lens of a very vivid imagination. I enjoy dissecting insights, painting visions, and often turning words into verse, by rhyming words into a kind of ‘treasure hunt.'”
“My greatest desire has always been to touch your emotions like you have mine…with all the colors of a rainbow.”
© Getty ImagesKim has devoted more of her recent years to her love for painting and visual arts
Kim has also taken a backseat from the spotlight after a rare appearance in 2014 at the 86th Academy Awards, which sparked conversation about plastic surgery and her appearance.
The devastated actress shared an open letter on social media addressing the hurt that the discourse around her look had caused her, writing: “After my appearance [at] the Oscars this year, I read all the jabs.”
© Getty Images“In Hollywood, after the Oscars, I was bullied by the press and the public on the Internet and TV.”
“I’m not going to deny that I had fat injections in my face. They seemed far less invasive than a face-lift. It was done in 2012 for the TCM interview special. In my opinion, a person has a right to look as good as they can, and I feel better when I look better.”
She continued: “In Hollywood, after the Oscars, I was bullied by the press and the public on the Internet and TV. The only difference that night was that I had taken a pill to relax — that I shouldn’t have taken. I had been fasting for three days and it affected my behavior. I regret taking it.”
“I will no longer hold myself back from speaking out against bullies. We can’t let people get away with affecting our lives. We need to stand up to them in a healthy way by speaking out, working out and acting out.”