Eva Marie Saint, the Oscar-winning actress known for her roles in Hollywood classics such as On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, has passed away at the age of 102. She died on Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and loved ones, as confirmed by family representative Jeff Sanderson.
Early Career and Breakthrough
Saint won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her film debut in Elia Kazan's 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, where she played Edie Doyle, the love interest of Marlon Brando's conflicted boxer-turned-docker. Five years later, she starred as femme fatale Eve Kendall in Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller North by Northwest, where she dangerously seduced Cary Grant's entangled advertising executive.
Legacy and Achievements
Until her death, Saint was the oldest surviving Oscar winner and one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood's golden age. She began her career in live television in the late 1940s and won an Emmy in 1990 for her role as a wealthy widow in the acclaimed TV miniseries People Like Us.
Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1924, Saint initially aimed to become a teacher before discovering her passion for theatre. She trained at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the Actors Studio, co-founded by Kazan. Her performance in On the Waterfront marked her Hollywood breakthrough.
