Oscar-Winning Hollywood Legend Eva Marie Saint Dies at 102
Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint, famous for her roles in "On the Waterfront" and "North by Northwest," has died at 102. She was the oldest living Academy Award winner.
Eva Marie Saint, one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood's Golden Age and an Oscar-winning actress who starred alongside Marlon Brando and Cary Grant, has passed away at the age of 102. Her family announced that the actress died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles.
Saint made her mark on Hollywood history almost immediately. Her feature film debut came in 1954 in Elia Kazan's "On the Waterfront" alongside Marlon Brando. She played Edie Doyle, and at the Academy Awards ceremony held the following year, she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The film itself won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Iconic Roles and Hitchcock
Five years later came the role that cemented her status as one of the definitive faces of Alfred Hitchcock's cinema. In the 1959 thriller "North by Northwest," she played the mysterious Eve Kendall opposite Cary Grant, in one of the director's most celebrated films. Her character, who repeatedly managed to stay a few steps ahead of both the hero and the audience, became one of the most memorable roles of her career.
Israel also held a significant place in Saint's filmography. In 1960, she starred alongside Paul Newman in "Exodus," Otto Preminger's epic about the establishment of the State of Israel, based on Leon Uris's novel. Saint portrayed Kitty Fremont, an American nurse who becomes involved with Ari Ben Canaan, played by Newman. The film was partially shot in Israel and Cyprus and became one of the most iconic Hollywood productions associated with the founding of the state.
A Legacy Spanning Decades
Despite her early success, Saint did not pursue a Hollywood career at the frenetic pace typical of stars of her era. In the 1960s, she scaled back her work to dedicate more time to her family, though she continued to appear in film and television. Later in life, a new generation of viewers met her in 2006's "Superman Returns," where she portrayed Martha Kent, Superman's adoptive mother.
Saint was married to television director Jeffrey Hayden from 1951 until his death in 2016, following 65 years of marriage. The couple left behind two children. At the time of her passing, Saint was the oldest living Oscar winner and one of the final remaining links to an era when Brando, Grant, Hitchcock, and Kazan redefined American cinema.
