Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint, one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood’s golden age, has died. She was 102.

Saint, best known for her unforgettable performances in On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, a family spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Her death brings to a close a remarkable career that stretched across more than seven decades and included work in movies, television and theater.

From New Jersey to Hollywood

Eva Marie Saint was born on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in Delmar, New York.

She attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where she studied acting and became involved in theater. After graduating, Saint moved to New York and began building her career during the early days of television.

Before becoming a major movie star, she appeared in television programs and on the stage. Her early work quickly earned attention and helped establish her as a serious dramatic actress.

Saint made her Broadway debut in the early 1950s and also appeared in numerous live television productions, which were extremely popular at the time.

Oscar Win for ‘On the Waterfront’

Saint made an extraordinary entrance into movies with her first major film role.

She starred opposite Marlon Brando in the 1954 drama On the Waterfront, directed by Elia Kazan. Saint played Edie Doyle, a young woman whose brother’s death becomes connected to corruption along the New York waterfront.

Her quiet but powerful performance earned widespread praise.

Saint won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role, making her an Oscar winner with her very first feature film.

On the Waterfront became one of the most celebrated movies of its era. The film also won Best Picture, while Brando received the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Becoming a Hitchcock Leading Lady

Five years later, Saint took on another role that would become one of the most famous of her career.

She starred alongside Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller North by Northwest.

Saint played the mysterious Eve Kendall, who becomes involved with Grant’s character as he is pulled into a dangerous case of mistaken identity.

The movie included several scenes that became classics, including the famous crop-duster sequence and the dramatic finale at Mount Rushmore.

Saint’s sophisticated and mysterious performance showed a different side of the actress and helped make her one of the memorable leading ladies of Hitchcock’s career.

A Career That Lasted for Decades

Saint continued working steadily after becoming a major Hollywood star.

Her movie credits included A Hatful of Rain, Raintree County, Exodus, All Fall Down, 36 Hours, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming and Grand Prix.

She also remained active on television throughout her career.

Saint appeared in numerous TV movies, miniseries and series and received multiple Emmy nominations. She won an Emmy in 1990 for her performance in the television movie People Like Us.

Later generations of moviegoers may remember Saint for playing Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Clark Kent, in the 2006 superhero movie Superman Returns.

Saint remained connected to Hollywood even in her later years. In 2018, she returned to the spotlight at the 90th Academy Awards, where she presented the Oscar for Best Costume Design.

She also stayed active as she approached her 100th birthday in 2024. Saint told People that she planned to celebrate the milestone surrounded by four generations of her family.

“I certainly don’t feel 100 years old,” she said.

Saint credited part of her active lifestyle to spending time outdoors. She said she continued to take walks in the fresh air and enjoyed watching baseball, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers.

She also treasured spending time with her family and friends.

Her Life Away From the Screen

Saint was married to director and producer Jeffrey Hayden for 65 years. The couple married in 1951 and remained together until Hayden’s death in 2016 at age 90.

They had two children, Darrell and Laurette.

Despite spending much of her life in the entertainment industry, Saint was known for keeping much of her personal life private.

Her long marriage and relatively quiet life away from Hollywood scandals stood apart from many of the stories surrounding other stars of her generation.