Eva Marie Saint, ‘North by Northwest’ Star, Dies at 102

Eva Marie Saint, an Academy Award-winning actress known for her roles in classic films such as "On the Waterfront" and "North by Northwest," has passed away at the age of 102. Saint, a regal blonde who transitioned from playing sultry spies to Southern belles and Superman's stepmother, made her film debut alongside Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront" (1954).

Her performance earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, making her one of the few people to win the award for their film debut. Saint married director-producer Jeffrey Hayden in 1951 and remained married to him for 65 years until his death in 2016. She had two children with Hayden and maintained a strong focus on her family over her career.

Despite not pursuing a large number of films, Saint continued to appear in prestigious projects, including "A Hatful of Rain," "Raintree County," "All Fall Down," "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming," "Grand Prix," and the TV miniseries based on "How the West Was Won." She also received five Emmy nominations and won for the 1990 TV movie "People Like Us."

Saint's most memorable performance was in the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock thriller "North by Northwest," where she played the enigmatic Eve Kendall, a secret agent who crosses paths with Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill. Hitchcock directed her with the simple instructions to lower her voice, avoid using her hands, and maintain eye contact with Grant throughout the film.