Eva Marie Saint, Oscar-winning actress from 'On the Waterfront,' dies at 102

Key points

• Saint died of natural causes at her Los Angeles home on Tuesday, according to a family spokesman.
• She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1955 for her role as Edie Doyle opposite Marlon Brando in 'On the Waterfront.'
• Her career-defining role as Eve Kendall in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 film 'North by Northwest' solidified her status as a Hollywood icon.
• Saint's final onscreen appearance was in 'Winter's Tale,' while her last major film role was as Martha Kent in 'Superman Returns' (2006).
• She won an Emmy Award in 1990 for the mini-series 'People Like Us' after shifting her focus to television in the 1970s and 1980s.

Background

Saint was born in 1924 in New Jersey to a Quaker family. Her early career included radio and television work, with a 1949 'Life' magazine feature predicting her future fame. She gained prominence in the early 1950s through the play 'The Trip to Bountiful,' which led to her discovery by director Elia Kazan. She married Jeffrey Hayden in 1951, and they remained together until his death in 2016. She was the oldest living Academy Award winner at the time of her death.

Why it matters

Saint's death marks the end of an era for mid-20th-century Hollywood. Her career exemplifies the transition from live broadcast media to feature films, and her longevity in the industry, spanning from the 1940s to the 2010s, highlights the enduring legacy of classic cinema stars. Her work in both dramatic and genre films, including superhero movies, demonstrates her versatility and adaptability across changing entertainment landscapes.

What to watch

There are no immediate next steps reported. Tributes and retrospectives of her career are expected from the entertainment industry and media outlets in the coming days.