KEY POINT
- Eva Marie Saint won an Academy Award for her film debut in On the Waterfront in 1954.
- Her performance opposite Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest became another defining moment of her career.
- Saint continued working across film, television and theater for decades, including a late-career appearance in Superman Returns.
Eva Marie Saint, one of the last prominent performers associated with Hollywood’s golden age, died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, according to family representative Jeff Sanderson. She was surrounded by family and loved ones.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on July 4, 1924, Saint initially planned to become a teacher. Her direction changed after she developed an interest in drama while studying at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She later moved to New York, where she trained at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the Actors Studio.
Before becoming a major film star, Saint established herself in radio and live television. One of her notable early television appearances was in Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful, which later transferred to Broadway.
Her breakthrough came with Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront in 1954. Saint played Edie Doyle, the compassionate woman who becomes involved with Marlon Brando’s Terry Malloy. Although it was her first movie role, the performance earned Saint the Academy Award for best supporting actress.
Five years later, she took on a dramatically different character in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. As Eve Kendall, Saint played a mysterious and sophisticated woman caught up in an international espionage plot opposite Cary Grant. The film established her as one of Hitchcock’s distinctive leading actresses.
Saint later appeared with Paul Newman in Otto Preminger’s Exodus and worked with Warren Beatty in John Frankenheimer’s All Fall Down. Other film credits included A Hatful of Rain, 36 Hours, The Sandpiper, Grand Prix and The Stalking Moon.
Her career was not limited to cinema. Saint returned frequently to television and theater, taking roles that offered opportunities beyond the glamorous leading woman parts associated with her early films. She also appeared in productions including Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke and Duet for One, the latter directed by her husband, Jeffrey Hayden.
Television became particularly important during the later stages of her career. Saint won an Emmy Award in 1990 for People Like Us, portraying wealthy widow Lil Van Degan Altemus. She also appeared in the television series Moonlighting as the mother of Cybill Shepherd’s character.
After a long period away from major feature film roles, Saint returned to the big screen in 2006 as Martha Kent, Superman’s adoptive mother, in Superman Returns. She subsequently appeared in films including A New York Winter’s Tale and Mariette in Ecstasy.
Saint’s career stretched from the early era of live television through major studio films and later television productions. She received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognizing her contributions to both film and television.
In a 2013 interview with Turner Classic Movies, Saint reflected on how age and experience influenced her acting. She said that living through different emotional experiences could deepen an actor’s understanding of people and life.
Saint was married to Hayden for 65 years until his death in 2016. They had two children, Darrell and Laurette. She is also survived by four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
