Who was Eva Marie Saint? Exploring the professional & personal life of Oscar-winning veteran actress after she died at 102

Eva Marie Saint was one of the last major stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, California, on October 6, 2026, at age 102.

According to a Fox News report, she was surrounded by her family and loved ones. At the time of her death, she was not married. However, she was previously married to television director Jeffrey Hayden, who died of cancer in December 2016, at the age of 90. They had two children: Darrell and Laurette.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, on July 4, 1924, Saint started out in radio and live television before transitioning into acting. She made her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in the 1954 classic On the Waterfront and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Edie Doyle.

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Hollywood legend Eva Marie Saint’s life in a nutshell

Eva Marie Saint was the oldest living Academy Award winner. Her major acting credits include roles in On the Waterfront, North by Northwest opposite Cary Grant, Superman Returns, and Exodus.

In addition to winning an Academy Award for On the Waterfront, Saint won a Primetime Emmy Award for the NBC miniseries People Like Us and received additional nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

She was reportedly nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for A Hatful of Rain for the Golden Globe Awards. She was nominated for two BAFTAs, including Most Promising Newcomer to Film for On the Waterfront and Best Foreign Actress for A Hatful of Rain.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Eva Marie Saint’s net worth is $20 million. After making one of the most acclaimed film debuts in On the Waterfront, Saint gave another remarkable performance as a double agent, Eve Kendall, opposite Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.

Born to John Merle Saint and Eva Marie Rice, Saint began her career while in college at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio. Inspired by her mother, a schoolteacher, and following her older sister, Adelaide Louise Saint, she initially pursued teaching. Her father worked for B.F. Goodrich as an executive manager.

When Saint joined the Delta Gamma sorority, a professor named Elden Smith encouraged her to audition for a play because he liked her voice. She took a dare and tried out for the comedy Personal Appearance, landing a lead role. Following roles in student productions like Shakespeare's As You Like It, she officially changed her major and career goal from teaching to acting.

After moving to New York City, Eva Marie Saint worked as an NBC page at Rockefeller Centre. She also ventured into modelling and appeared in early live commercials and print ads. She demonstrated early television sets to visitors, which led to opportunities to appear on television on shows like Campus Hoopla.

Saint also worked in radio as a long-distance operator. She studied method acting at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and the American Theatre Wing and later appeared in a number of films.

According to a CNN report, Saint recalled Strasberg telling her:

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“Think of your body as an instrument, a musical instrument. So take care of your body. You have to be disciplined and you should be able to play what that director wants.”

Eva Marie Saint is survived by her two children, Darrell and Laurette; four grandchildren, Eli, Tyler, Molly, and Stella; and two great-grandchildren, Arlo and Finley.

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