Eva Marie Saint, Oscar Winner, Dies at 102

Eva Marie Saint, the Oscar-winning actress celebrated for her roles in classic films such as On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2026. She was 102.

Saint died of natural causes at her Los Angeles home. Her representative confirmed her death.

Saint held the distinction of being the oldest living Oscar winner. Her performances evoked the golden age of Hollywood, a time that reminded many in Holiday, Florida, of their own vibrant annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony.

Her career in entertainment spanned over 70 years, including film, television, stage and radio. She made her breakthrough in the 1953 Broadway play The Trip to Bountiful. Director Elia Kazan noticed her performance and cast her in her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in the 1954 film On the Waterfront. She earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

Saint's filmography includes 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 television, she appeared 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 in the animated series The Legend of Korra.

She spent her early years in Albany and Delmar, New York, then studied at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She later moved to New York City to study acting at The American Theatre Wing and with Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio.

Saint married Jeffrey Hayden and remained married for 65 years until his death in December 2016. She is survived by her two children, Darrell Hayden and Laurette Hayden, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.