She was one of the biggest movie stars in the 1950’s.

Kim Novak went from being a fledging model to a full-blown superstar in the space of just two years.

By 1956 she was considered the number one box office star in the world.

But in 1965, when she was a sex symbol with big box office draw, she turned her back on movie-making for a much quieter existence on a sprawling 240-acre ranch in southern Oregon.

Today, at age 79 she fills her days with painting, tending to her five horses, her herd of llamas and her husband of 36 years a retired veterinarian.

Not surprisingly she advises today’s working actresses  to create a base away from the Hollywood glare.

She says there is a lot more quality of life for those who do that.