Why Kim Novak Quit Hollywood

Do you think you know a lot about TV? Try our quiz and enter to win $500!
Click below to check the trivia question
A little more than 50 years ago, Kim Novak, star of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo left Hollywood for good. She decided she was done and that meant she was done. Even though she had once been the number one draw at the box office, she packed all of her belongings into her van and drove north out of LA on the 1.

Like this content? Subscribe here:

Or, watch more videos here:

She found her way to Carmel-By-The-Sea, where she fell in love with the wealthy coastal community and found that it gave her a sense of privacy that she had been missing. She lived in an ocean-side mansion where she shifted her focus back to her first true love, the visual arts. Two decades later, she moved once again to Oregon to pursue a career as a painter.

Hollywood had stripped her of her identity. By the time she left, she had to pick up all of the pieces of who she was and rebuild from the ground up. It wasn't a simple process either. Hollywood constantly tries to change you. When Novak left Hollywood for good, it took quite a bit of time for her to feel like herself once again, but eventually, she was able to find herself once again.

Why Kim Novak Quit Hollywood
Do you think you know a lot about TV? Try our quiz and enter to win $500!
Click below to check the trivia question

[carrolwilliams]

A very talented and lovable human being one of the film industry greats. She had a charismatic presence.

[janusloggins]

That was very refreshing! What a wonderful lady!

[dorothyrobdau]

She stayed true to her soul, her being her self and lived happy doing whatever she wanted to do. Loved nature, art and her animals. Good for Kim

[Patriciarivas-w]

I loved her in book, bell and candle. She was such a good actress. I’m glad she found her joy! Who could ask for more?

[danielmiron]

I adore Kim in Vertigo and I think she made the right choice to live her life her way and not Hollywood's way. Sure she may have become a bigger star but at what cost to her happiness.

[christophertsiliacos]

From 1955 through 1959 Kim Novak was the most beautiful actress to grace the big screen. 👌 😊
As far as I'm concerned, she is still beautiful and talented. 😍

[rosabelleramos]

She made a great choise by following her dream on Painting 😇

[dalekmoon]

I always thought 'Novak' was a cool name that really stood out amongst the other stars. Kim did the right thing and was before her time leaving a crumbling decadent Hollywood in my opinion. Look how far it has fallen of late.

[mdturnerinoz]

Wow! Living in Carmel! Lucky her! We lived in San Francisco Bay Area 1977-2006 and went toi Carmel often (every Super Bowl Sunday guaranteed a parking place and seats in great local restaurants)! Oregon? Give it a miss ... Kim: I still admire you in Vertigo; you were a BABE! And what "should" you have done? Whatever you damn well decided to do (which you did); good on ya, Kim!

[stephaniewilson]

Love that she marches to the best of her own drum. I’m just discovering her and I so love Strangers When We Meet. She is such a classy lady-all the best to her!!🙏🙏❤️❤️

[dj]

One of my most unforgettable actors! Very talented otherwise as well. Her art has a mystical feel to it. Her love of animals was so touching. At least we share one thing! LOL! So sad to hear of her husband's passing. They were together for years and years. Kim is now 87 years old? Still beautiful, intelligent and knows her own mind.

[lauriealongi]

I think she did what was best for her so she could live her best life. I applaud her decision.

[migue]

She was and will always be beautiful imo. Love her films

[ronniechew]

We have a Kim Novak shop here in Penang, Malaysia 😁 That shop sells school uniforms. No idea why they call it Kim Novak though. Maybe these people are fans?

[colokid]

More Movies, Hollywood lets them go soon enough.

[ron-waynehoekstra]

A few more films would have been fabulous, but Always leave them craving for more . Was really glad she came out “ retirement “ at the time for with Rock and Elizabeth to have done The Mirror Cracked . This way as happens to many “ who stay too long at the fair “ she did not become a parody of herself and or locked into a image .

[cameronmccreary]

Yes, I do think that she should have made maybe you know, three or four or five or six more films; however I do think she made the correct decision.I used to live in Southern California and that Hollywood l area there and it sooo gets on the nerves.

[rajkobjelica]

Gorgeous woman in her younger years. Private life not so much.