Highlights
- Eva Marie Saint died aged 102 after a career spanning more than seven decades
- She won an Oscar for her film debut in On the Waterfront
- Her role opposite Cary Grant in North by Northwest became one of her most famous performances
- Saint also worked with stars including Paul Newman, Warren Beatty and Brandon Routh
- She continued acting well into her 80s, appearing in Superman Returns and other later films
Eva Marie Saint leaves behind a remarkable Hollywood legacy, with a career that stretched from the golden age of cinema to the 21st century.
The Oscar-winning actress died aged 102 at her home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and loved ones. Although she became known for some of Hollywood's most celebrated films, Saint's career extended far beyond the two classics that first made her a star.
From playing Marlon Brando's love interest in On the Waterfront to taking on a very different role opposite Cary Grant in North by Northwest, here are seven performances that helped define her career.
1. Edie Doyle in On the Waterfront
Saint made one of the most impressive film debuts in Hollywood history as Edie Doyle in Elia Kazan's 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront.
Playing the sister of a murdered dockworker, Edie becomes the moral centre of the story as she develops a relationship with Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando.
Saint won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for the performance, immediately establishing herself as one of Hollywood's most promising new stars.
Her chemistry with Brando became one of the film's defining elements. Saint later recalled finding the intense method actor both "adorable" and slightly frightening during their work together.
2. Eve Kendall in North by Northwest
Five years after her Oscar-winning debut, Saint took on one of the most recognisable roles of her career in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest.
As Eve Kendall, she plays a mysterious woman who becomes involved with Cary Grant's advertising executive, Roger Thornhill, as he finds himself caught up in an international espionage plot.
Saint was a surprising choice for the role, particularly because Hitchcock was known for his distinctive approach to his leading women. Her performance gave Eve a combination of glamour, mystery and vulnerability that made the character memorable.
Saint later explained that Hitchcock helped create the character by focusing closely on her appearance, from her hair and make-up to her clothes and accessories.
3. Tanya in Exodus
Saint followed North by Northwest with another major Hollywood production, appearing opposite Paul Newman in Otto Preminger's 1960 historical drama Exodus.
The film, based on Leon Uris's novel, tells the story of the creation of the state of Israel and the experiences of Jewish refugees following the Second World War.
Working with Newman added another major name to Saint's growing list of celebrated screen co-stars and cemented her position among Hollywood's leading actresses of the era.
4. Echo O'Brien in All Fall Down
Saint also appeared alongside Warren Beatty in the 1962 drama All Fall Down, directed by John Frankenheimer.
The film explored a troubled family and the destructive effect of its relationships, with Saint playing Echo O'Brien.
The role came during a period when Saint was continuing to work with some of the biggest actors and directors in Hollywood, following the success of her early films.
Superman Returns introduced her to a new generation of viewers Getty Images
5. Martha Kent in Superman Returns
Saint's career took an unexpected turn decades later when she returned to the superhero world as Martha Kent in Bryan Singer's 2006 film Superman Returns.
By then in her 80s, Saint played the adoptive mother of Clark Kent, with Brandon Routh taking on the role of Superman.
The film introduced her to a new generation of viewers who may not have known her from her classic Hollywood work.
6. Mrs Mulray in Winter's Tale
Saint continued appearing on screen later in her career, including in the 2014 fantasy drama Winter's Tale.
The film starred Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe and was based on Mark Helprin's novel.
While the role was considerably different from the parts that had established her reputation in the 1950s and 1960s, it demonstrated Saint's willingness to continue working across generations of Hollywood cinema.
7. Sister Mary in Mariette in Ecstasy
Saint's later work also included the 2019 drama Mariette in Ecstasy, a film centred on a young woman entering a convent in upstate New York.
It became one of her final screen appearances, coming more than six decades after her Oscar-winning debut.
Saint's longevity was something she herself viewed as an advantage to her craft. Speaking to Turner Classic Movies in 2013, she reflected on how life experience could deepen an actor's understanding of people and emotions.
With a career spanning more than 70 years, Saint ultimately became more than an Oscar-winning star of Hollywood's golden age. She remained a working actress across generations, leaving behind performances that introduced her to audiences from the 1950s through to the 21st century.
