Eva Marie Saint, the Oscar-winning actress known for performances in classic films such as On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, died on Tuesday. She was 102.
Saint died of natural causes while surrounded by family and loved ones at her home in Los Angeles, according to her representative. Before her death, Saint was the oldest living Oscar winner.
Her long career in the entertainment business spanned over 70 years and included work in a variety of art mediums, such as film, television, stage and radio.
It was her performance in the 1953 Broadway play The Trip to Bountiful that captured the attention of director Elia Kazan. He cast her in her first-ever screen role opposite Marlon Brando in the 1954 film On the Waterfront. She was honored with the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her performance.
Saint also appeared in notable films such as North by Northwest, That Certain Feeling, Exodus, All Fall Down, 36 Hours, The Sandpiper, Loving, Nothing in Common, Because of Winn-Dixie, Superman Returns and Winter’s Tale.
On TV, Saint is known for her performances in Middle of the Night, a live TV musical adaptation of Our Town, Taxi!!, How the West Was Won, People Like Us and the 1996 Titanic miniseries. She also voiced a recurring character on the animated series The Legend of Korra.
The actress grew up in both Albany and Delmar, New York, before attending Bowling Green State University in Ohio. After graduation, she moved to New York City, where she studied at The American Theatre Wing and with Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio.
Saint was married to Jeffrey Hayden for 65 years before his death in December 2016. She is survived by her two children, Darrell Hayden and Laurette Hayden, her four grandchildren and her two great grandchildren.
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