North by Northwest's Eva Marie Saint dead at 102
North by Northwest star Eva Marie Saint died on Tuesday (06.10.26) at the age of 102.
North by Northwest star Eva Marie Saint has died at the age of 102.
The Oscar-winner's representative, Jeff Sanderson, told Rolling Stone that she "died of natural causes surrounded by family and loved ones" at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday (06.10.26).
Tributes have poured in for Eva Marie, who is survived by her son, Darrell and daughter Laurette, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
One fan on Instagram penned: "She was dazzlingly beautiful in North by Northwest. RIP to a talented, beautiful, and classy lady."
A supporter on Facebook typed: "What a life! She was a terrific actress and was awesome in one of my all-time favourites, North by Northwest.
"Godspeed Ms. Saint!"
And a follower on X wrote: "Fabulous in North by Northwest. A true icon of the silver age of Hollywood.
"May her memory be a blessing."
Born on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, Eva attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio before beginning her entertainment career in TV and radio.
In 1946, she appeared as a spokeswoman on the NBC game show Campus Hoopla before she made her Broadway debut in The Trip to Bountiful in 1953.
The following year, Eva made her film debut as Edie Doyle in On the Waterfront, opposite Marlon Brando.
Her performance earned her the 1955 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Eva was pregnant with Darrell, whom she gave birth to just two days after accepting the Oscar on March 30 that year.
Receiving the gong, she joked: "I may have the baby right here!"
Following her win, she went on to star in the likes of 1957's A Hatful of Rain and Raintree County, and 1968's The Stalking Moon.
One of Eva's most famous roles came in 1959 when Alfred Hitchcock cast her as Eve Kendall in the glamorous thriller North by Northwest, opposite Cary Grant.
In 1990, Eva won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special for People Like Us.
Away from Hollywood, she married TV director and producer Jeffrey Hayden in 1951 after they met on the New York City subway.
As well as Darrell, the couple were parents to Laurette, born on July 19, 1958, and they remained married until Jeffrey died following a battle with cancer on December 24, 2016, at the age of 90.
Eva's final feature-film appearance came in the 2014 fantasy film, Winter’s Tale.
Also that year, she reflected on her long life and career, telling NBC: "The longer you live, I believe, you learn so much about life that you have more to give.
"It’s interesting, people say, how, when you watch a film, how do you feel about it? What do you remember? And do you like watching the film?
"Well, after it’s been several years, many years, it’s almost another person up on the screen.
"But I remember, in all the emotional scenes, what I used at that moment. It’s as clear as a bell."
