Kim Novak Currently Enjoys Life On A Ranch Surrounded By Her Animals — Her Life After Hollywood

Nov 29, 2021 by apost team

Kim Novak was born Marilyn Pauline Novak on Feb. 13, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, and was most famous for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo." Beyond that iconic performance, she was well received in other movies of the era such as "The Man With the Golden Arm," "Pal Joey" and more. She even won two Golden Globe Awards, a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

But although she made an impact in Tinseltown, Novak's career was rather short. Her first film role was in 1953 and by 1966 she had semi-retired from acting, choosing instead to live on a ranch in Big Sur with her horses. However, she still graced the screen in occasional appearances over the next few decades but since 1991 she hasn't acted at all.

Instead, she now chooses to focus on her painting and life on the ranch she once shared with her late husband Robert Malloy, who was an equine veterinarian. In fact, the couple met after he made a house call when one of her Arabian mares suffered colic.

But while the life of a Hollywood actress might seem perfect, Novak has endured her fair share of trouble. She recently told The Hollywood Reporter: "I've had a lot of obstacles in my life. And I'm here." This included sexual abuse while she was still a teenager. What's more, after Novak was believed to be in an interracial relationship with Sammy Davis Jr., it's alleged that Columbia Pictures co-founder Harry Cohn threatened to have Davis Jr.'s legs broken unless he married a Black woman in 48 hours. 

In contrast to the drama of Hollywood, Novak's life on her ranch is tranquil and calm. Let's take a look.

Considering what she went through as a young model and actress, it's perhaps unsurprising that although she was at the top of Hollywood's roster, Novak left the glitz and glam for a quiet life on the land. This year Novak published a memoir titled "Kim Novak: Her Life and Art," in which she spilled everything about her life.

She revealed that she had been sexually abused when she was still a teenager. Furthermore, she suffered great maltreatment from entertainment mogul Cohn. She described her time with him and how he treated her as horrible. She also slept in the film studios and was paid less than her male co-stars. 

After Novak was believed to be in an interracial romance with famous Black musician Sammy Davis Jr. because they often went to each other's houses, it's been alleged that Cohn threatened the couple. A BBC documentary reported that Cohn sent mobsters to Davis Jr. and threatened that if he didn't marry a Black woman in 48 hours he would get his legs broken. Novak later clarified that the two hadn't dated but for Davis Jr.'s sake, she decided to stop seeing him in case there was any more trouble.

The actress became engaged to renowned filmmaker Richard Quine but soon after they broke it off. Novak then married Richard Johnson in 1965 but by the following year, the couple had divorced. 

This was around the time the actress quit acting for the most part and moved to her ranch in Big Sur, where she spent her days painting and being with her horses. She also eventually found true love when she met veterinarian Malloy and the two were married in 1976. 

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The couple moved to a ranch in Oregon where she continued painting as the lovebirds were surrounded by nature and their horses and other animals. However, in 2000 tragedy struck when their house was razed in a fire. Thankfully she, her husband and their animals — which included dogs, horses, llamas and a family of Canada geese — all survived but her paintings and an autobiography she had been working on for years sadly did not. Authorities noted that the cause of the fire was a tree that had fallen over a power line.

Despite the tragedy, the couple had each other and they continued to live a peaceful life outside of the glare of Hollywood. But sadly in 2020, Novak revealed that her husband of 44 years had passed away from an undisclosed illness at the age of 80. Devastated, Novak openly grieved the love of her life. She told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview from earlier this year, "I'm surviving." She revealed she had recently painted his portrait, as she added:

“I talk to it every night. I’ve got this wonderful little smile on the corners of his lips, so when I say something, he’s always saying, ‘Oh, yeah?'”

In fact, Novak revealed her art is what gets her through these days. She still lives in the ranch she and her husband rebuilt in Oregon and admitted to not being bothered by the pandemic. She told THR:

“If Bob’s not with me, I’d just as soon just cuddle up with my dogs. I don’t mind having the separation from people. In fact, I’m enjoying it.”

She also said she leans on her animals for emotional support since she and Malloy never had children. Beyond painting and living a quiet life on her ranch, Novak is also a mental health activist.

Did you know about what Kim Novak went through during her career in Hollywood? What about her quiet life on the ranch she once shared with her beloved husband? Let us know and pass this on so others can read about it too.