Kim Novak's Life in Photos

The 'Vertigo' star's life and career have spanned movie musicals, caring for animals and working on her art. Take a look back at some of her greatest highlights through the years

Best known for starring in Alfred Hitchcock's psychological mystery Vertigo in the 1950s, actress Kim Novak spends her time these days with her horses living on the Oregon coast.

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

“She’s spending her birthday having a picnic on her property with friends 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.

Kim Novak's Early Life

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's The French Line (starring Jane Russell).

Through her work as an extra, Novak was discovered by an agent and soon signed with Columbia Pictures.

Kim Novak's First Film

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's Pushover when she was 21 years old.

Kim Novak Golden Globe Win

Novak won her first Golden Globe Award in the "star of tomorrow" category in 1955 for her film Phffft!, in which she acted alongside Jack Lemmon.

The actress appeared in many titles that same year, including The Man with the Golden Arm with Frank Sinatra and Picnic, opposite Lemmon and Judy Holliday.

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

Kim Novak in Pal Joey

Novak starred opposite Sinatra and Rita Hayworth in 1957's Pal 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 Dean posthumously won for world film favorite male at that same ceremony) and the Golden Apple Award for most cooperative actress.

Kim Novak in Vertigo

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," Novak told the Associated Press.

She starred alongside James Stewart in the film, which received two Academy Award nominations and is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.

Kim Novak in Bell, Book and Candle

Novak starred in 1958's Bell, 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.

Kim Novak's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Novak was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 8, 1960. Surrounded by other entertainment industry icons, the star can be found at 6332 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Kim Novak in Kiss Me, Stupid

Novak starred alongside Dean Martin in 1964's Kiss Me, Stupid — a Billy Wilder-directed sex comedy film that received mixed reviews from critics upon its release.

The actress was a Hollywood sex symbol in her heyday, and in 1995, she was ranked 92nd by Empire Magazine on a list of the 100 sexiest stars.

Novak opened up in her 2021 book about being identified as a sex symbol, saying she was "dazzled and disturbed" by the designation and felt lost to the idea of what people imagined her to be.

Kim Novak's First Marriage

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.

Kim Novak's Transition to Television

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 opera Falcon 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.

Kim Novak's Second Marriage

Following her departure from Hollywood, Novak moved to Big Sur in Northern California where she raised horses and focused on her art.

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.

Kim Novak's Withdrawal from Acting

After a disappointing experience on the set of Liebestraum, 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."

Kim Novak's Grauman's Chinese Theatre Honor

Novak was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (now TCL Chinese Theatre) in 2012, which took place during the TCM Classic Film Festival. In addition to receiving the honor, she took part in a discussion hosted by Robert Osborne.

Kim Novak's Rare Oscar Appearance

Novak made a rare appearance at the 86th Academy Awards as a presenter alongside Matthew 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.

Kim Novak's Artwork

"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 titled Kim Novak: Her Art and Life.

Kim Novak's 90th Milestone

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."

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