Eva Marie Saint, Hollywood Icon, Dies at 102

Wed Oct 07 2026 12:19:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Oscar‑winning star of ’On the Waterfront’ and ’North by Northwest’ passes away after a 70‑year career.

Eva Marie Saint, celebrated for her Academy Award‑winning role in 1954’s On the Waterfront and her iconic performance in Hitchcock’s 1959 North by Northwest, died at 102. The veteran actress was the oldest living Oscar winner until her passing. Saint’s career spanned from early 1950s method‑acting roots to a late‑career cameo as Superman’s adoptive mother in 2006’s Superman Returns. She also won a 1990 Emmy for the TV miniseries People Like Us and was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Saint’s legacy remains a touchstone for contemporary actors and cinema fans alike.

Oscar‑winning legend Eva Marie Saint, famed for her roles in classics like On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, has passed away at 102.

Saint’s debut in Elia Kazan’s 1954 crime drama earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and launched a career that would see her become one of Hollywood’s enduring icons.

She went on to star opposite Marlon Brando and Cary Grant, carving out a legacy of memorable supporting roles that have become classics for new movie‑fans.

Beyond film, Saint earned a 1990 Emmy for her part in the TV miniseries People Like Us, and in 2006 she returned to the big screen as Superman’s adoptive mother in Superman Returns.

Saint was married to director Jeffrey Hayden for 65 years and left behind two children. She had a lifelong passion for acting that she said brought depth to her performances: “The longer you live, the smarter you get; you’ve seen things, you get it better.”

She will be remembered as the last living link to Hollywood’s golden age—a true legend whose work still inspires filmmakers and movie‑lovers worldwide.