Eva Marie Saint, Oscar-winning actress, dies at 102
Eva Marie Saint, who won an Academy Award for her debut in "On the Waterfront" and later starred in films such as "North by Northwest," died of natural causes at her Los Angeles home at age 102.
Eva Marie Saint, an Academy Award-winning actress known for roles in classic films including "On the Waterfront" and "North by Northwest," died of natural causes at her Los Angeles home, surrounded by family, according to her publicist Jeff Sanderson. Saint was 102.
Saint made her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's 1954 drama "On the Waterfront," earning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar – only the fourth performer to win that award for a debut role. She was pregnant at the ceremony and gave birth to her son Darrell two days later.
In 1951 she married director-producer Jeffrey Hayden; the couple remained together for 65 years until his death in 2016. Saint said she prioritized family over a prolific film schedule, telling CBS's "Sunday Morning" in 2014 that she limited herself to one film a year to raise her children.
Beyond her Oscar win, Saint appeared in a range of prestige projects, including "A Hatful of Rain," "Raintree County," "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming," and the TV miniseries based on "How the West Was Won." She received five Emmy nominations and won for the 1990 TV movie "People Like Us." At age 97 she participated in a podcast series.
Her most celebrated role was as Eve Kendall, a secret agent who entangles Cary Grant's character in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 thriller "North by Northwest." Saint recalled Hitchcock advising her to lower her voice, keep her hands still, and maintain eye contact with Grant.
Born on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, Saint originally intended to become a teacher before turning to acting in college productions. After training at the Actors Studio, she broke into television drama and was later cast by Kazan for "On the Waterfront" following an improvised audition with Brando.
Saint's later career included appearances with Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Warren Beatty, and Tom Hanks, among others, as well as roles in "Superman Returns" and various television series. She remained active in the entertainment community into her late nineties, appearing on podcasts and short-form video projects.
She is survived by her two children, Darrell and Laurette, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.