Eva Marie Saint: The Last Golden Era Star Leaves a Legacy at 102
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Eva Marie Saint, one of the last actresses from the golden era of movies, has died. She was 102.The “On the Waterfront” star died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, a family spokesperson announced, per the Hollywood Reporter.Page Six has reached out to a rep for Saint for additional comment.Born in Newark, New Jersey, Saint’s career spanned over seven decades and included an Academy Award, an Emmy and a role in one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous movies.Eva Marie Saint, seen here in 2019, has died. Getty ImagesSaint’s career spanned seven decades (she’s seen here in 1954). Courtesy Everett CollectionThe actress got her start, like many actors in those days, appearing on live television shows in New York. She was first featured on the live NBC-TV show “Campus Hoopla” in 1946, before starring in a 1949 Life magazine feature article about life as a struggling actor earning little while trying to make ends meet in New York. At the same time, she was racking up theater credits.In the 1950s, she earned Emmy nominations for her roles in Paddy Chayefsky’s “Middle of the Night” and a television musical version of “Our Town,” which also featured Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman.She (seen here in the 1954 movie “On the Waterfront”) got her start on the New York stage and live television. Courtesy Everett CollectionHer first film role was opposite Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront” (as seen here in 1954). Getty ImagesSaint made her feature film debut in 1954’s Elia Kazan-helmed “On the Waterfront,” opposite Marlon Brando and Karl Malden, which later earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.At the time she accepted the award, Saint was heavily pregnant with her son, Darrell, whom she shared with her husband, Jeffrey Hayden. The couple — who also shared daughter Laurette — was married for 65 years until Hayden died in 2016. “If you ever see footage of me — when they announce my name — you can see me pause and wait a moment,” she shared in a 2010 interview about winning the Oscar. “Jeff had his thumb on my thigh; I couldn’t get up. So I slowly walked up and said something like, ‘I’m so excited I might have the baby right here.'”She ultimately gave birth two days after accepting her award.She later called Brando (seen here together in 1954) “probably the finest actor I’ve ever worked with.” Corbis via Getty ImagesSaint won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1955 for “On the Waterfront” (as seen here). Bettmann ArchiveDuring the same interview, she recalled the intense auditioning process for the role, where they asked her how much she “weighed, [her] height and [her] bust size.”“And I thought, “This is silly. This is not for me. I want to stay in the theater. Which I think I certainly would have had we stayed in New York,” she explained before reminiscing about meeting Brando and improvising a scene together.“He put the radio on, and we started dancing,” she said. “He did something to flip my skirt, and I was so embarrassed I cried a little bit afterward. It was too much; it was all too much. But Kazan saw the chemistry, and he could see that it could work for the movie.”Saint went on to gush about Brando, calling him “wonderful” and “probably the finest actor I’ve ever worked with.”Saint, who was pregnant when she won, shared two children with her husband, Jeffrey Hayden (seen all together in 1957). Corbis via Getty ImagesHer next big film role was in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” (seen here in 1959 with co-star Cary Grant). Getty ImagesHitchcock ultimately cast Saint over a slew of other blondes in “North by Northwest,” which is widely considered one of his masterpieces and ranked No. 40 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time.The director, who infamously took an unhealthy interest in his female stars, personally chose her costumes during a shopping trip to Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.Saint’s other prominent movies included “Exodus,” “The Sandpiper” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and “A Hatful of Rain.”‘The iconic actress marked her return to the small screen in the 70s and 80s. She reunited with her “On the Waterfront” co-star Karl Malden in the television movie “Fatal Vision” and was featured in a recurring role as Cybill Shepherd’s mother on “Moonlighting.”Later roles included a part in 2005’s “Because of Winn-Dixie” (as seen here). ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett CollectionSaint delighted movie fans when she presented the award for Best Costume Design at the 90th Oscars in 2018 (as seen here). Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesIn 2005, she was introduced to an entirely new audience for her roles in the beloved children’s film “Because of Winn-Dixie” and, the following year, in “Superman Returns.”In 2018, she made a memorable return to the screen when she presented the Best Costume Design award at the 90th Academy Awards.Saint remained spry and nimble in her old age, telling People ahead of her 100th birthday in 2024 that she planned to celebrate the milestone number with four generations of family members.“I certainly don’t feel 100 years old,” she shared. “I continue to take walks out in the fresh air, like watching baseball — especially the Los Angeles Dodgers- and enjoy time with my family and friends. A good life.”She is survived by her two children and four grandchildren.
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