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Kim Novak’s final act comes with a twist even Alfred Hitchcock couldn’t have scripted.
The “Vertigo” star has arranged to have her body turned into compost after her death so friends and loved ones can use the resulting soil to plant trees. The 93-year-old, who is the subject of “Kim Novak’s Vertigo,” a documentary about her life and career, first confirmed her plans to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Novak, who lives on a ranch in Oregon, told Digital she made the arrangements “a few years ago.”
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Kim Novak is seen here in this undated photo. The actress confirmed to Digital she’s arranged to have her body turned into compost, so friends can plant trees in her honor. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
“The idea is that I get to live after I’m gone through trees,” Novak said. “It’s an exciting adventure because this is what I want after I pass. I want to keep living. And one thing that I’ve always been short on is patience. And a tree has to have patience. I will get to continue to express myself and be an observer of life. To me, it’s a beautiful thought. It’s given me great peace of mind because I’m going to keep growing. So I’m excited about that.”
“It sounds funny perhaps, but it isn’t really,” she said. “I can’t imagine being turned into ashes or being put under the ground. Both of those concepts are not too attractive to me.”
Kim Novak arrives at Hotel Excelsior during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2025, in Venice, Italy. (Getty Images)
Novak isn’t afraid of death, even if her plans may strike some as unconventional. The lifelong nature lover said her connection to the environment has given her peace about what comes next.
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“Some people may not even be aware that’s a choice,” Novak said. “And I know some people don’t like to talk about death, or think they’re going to be turned into ashes or be underground. It sounds awful. But you have a choice. You can decide what comes next.”
Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak are seen here in a scene from the film “The Man With The Golden Arm,” circa 1955. (United Artists/Getty Images)
“For me, this was a beautiful concept, the idea of becoming one with the soil,” Novak continued. “And with compost, of course, everything grows so much better than if you didn’t have it. It helps with growth. You become part of the process. It’s natural, it’s real, it’s honest, it’s pure. And I even get to choose the kind of flowers that are going to be part of my compost — forget-me-nots.”
American actress Kim Novak poses with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement trophy at a ceremony during the 82nd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 1, 2025. ( Li Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Although human composting is legal in Oregon, Novak has arranged for her remains to be transported to an Earth Funeral facility in Washington state to undergo the process, known as natural organic reduction.
“I’m in Oregon, so it’s not that big a deal,” Novak said.
Kim Novak poses after receiving an Icon Award for her career during the 51st Deauville American Film Festival on Sept. 6, 2025, in Deauville, France. (WireImage)
“However, they’re going to have to pack me in ice in order to make it all the way to this place,” she said with a laugh.
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Kim Novak bites a pearl necklace in a 1950s publicity portrait. (Getty Images)
Novak acknowledged that additional options may now be available since she made her arrangements years ago.
“I’m having all of my compost, once it’s done, delivered to friends and family, a bit of it,” she said. “I have instructions for all of them to plant a tree or a shrub, but preferably a tree, because I look forward to keeping growing. That’s what it’s all about for me. I want to keep growing. This is a beautiful expression of life continuing after death.”
American actress Kim Novak with British director and producer Alfred Hitchcock on the set of his movie “Vertigo.” (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
When Novak began planning her final sendoff, she knew she didn’t want to be buried or cremated. She began exploring other options.
Kim Novak delivers a speech prior to receiving an Icon Award for her career during the 51st edition of the Deauville American film festival, in Deauville, northwestern France, on Sept. 6, 2025. (Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images)
“Here in Oregon, there was one place where I could have had a tree planted over me,” she said. “However, it was only one tree. I’d like to be many trees.”
According to The Associated Press, Novak was the world’s top box-office star from 1958 to 1960. The outlet reported that she stepped away from Hollywood in 1966 to pursue a private life devoted to painting.
Kim Novak poses with her painting at a photocall during the Febiofest Prague International Film Festival on March 20, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic. (Getty Images)
“Leaving Hollywood taught me that how I live my life matters,” she said. “When I left, what mattered the most was being out in nature. I’ve always wanted to be close to nature and live a natural life. Painting has allowed me to continue expressing myself while out in nature. And every day of my life, I’m painting. I can’t wait to wake up each day and start working on a new painting. Sometimes, I’ll stick with a painting for months just because I haven’t fully figured out what I want to express. It’s been a wonderful way to live a life of expression.”
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James Stewart and Kim Novak on the set of “Vertigo,” directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock. (Corbis via Getty Images)
“Films were wonderful too,” she said. “It’s just all the other stuff that went with it that wasn’t very appealing. But playing a character, becoming one with another person, that always gave me joy. When I look back at my life, I remember all the wonderful opportunities I was given to become a different, beautiful character. But even then, I was drawing too. I used to always draw the characters I was playing in my script. Every time I’d find some new feeling about my character, I would draw it and paint it.”
Novak’s film credits include Otto Preminger’s “The Man with the Golden Arm,” Joshua Logan’s “Picnic,” “Pal Joey” and “Bell, Book and Candle.” Today, she continues to pursue painting away from Hollywood. But Novak believes her story won’t end with her death.
Kim Novak attends the “Hommage A Kim Novak” photocall during the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2013, in Cannes, France. (Getty Images)
“I made my decision because I want to do something good for the environment, and others can too,” she said. “After we’re gone, the Earth is still here, and we need to protect it. Life goes on when we’re no longer here. And in some ways, this doesn’t make you feel like you’re dying. You’re continuing to live on becoming part of the environment. It’s something beautiful to look forward to, not dread.”
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Kim Novak poses at a photocall during the Febiofest Prague International Film Festival on March 20, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic. (Getty Images)
“I don’t want to be forgotten,” she said. “I want to be remembered not just for films, but for what it made me into, what it turned me into. All the ways I transformed in life, I got to express myself in my art. And I’ll continue to express myself.”
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Kim Novak poses during a portrait session at home on Nov. 26, 1958. (Getty Images)
’Kim Novak’s Vertigo’ is now available to stream or purchase on digital platforms.
