Eva Marie Saint, Oscar Winner and North by Northwest Star, Dies at 102

Eva Marie Saint, the actress who won an Academy Award for her very first film role and starred opposite Cary Grant in one of Hitchcock’s most beloved thrillers, died Tuesday at 102. She grew up in upstate New York, trained at the Actors Studio, and worked on Broadway and live television before Elia Kazan cast her opposite Marlon Brando in 1954’s On the Waterfront, a performance that earned her the Oscar.

She followed that with North by Northwest in 1959, playing the mysterious Eve Kendall opposite Cary Grant. But Saint made a choice that set her apart from many of her peers: after marrying director Jeffrey Hayden in 1951, she limited her Hollywood roles to focus on raising her children. She later returned to television, winning an Emmy in 1990 for the miniseries People Like Us. Her career spanned decades and mediums, from live TV to Broadway to the big screen and back again.

Saint’s legacy is one of talent, balance, and quiet confidence. She proved you could be a Hollywood icon without letting Hollywood define you. Which Eva Marie Saint performance is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.