Hollywood Legend Eva Marie Saint Died of Cardiopulmonary Arrest

The cause of death of Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint, best known for her performances in On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, has been disclosed. According to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE magazine, the veteran actress died following cardiopulmonary arrest on October 6, 2026. She was 102.

Born on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, Saint studied at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She began her career in television and radio before making her Broadway debut in The Trip to Bountiful in 1953.

Saint made her film debut in 1954 with director Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront. Her portrayal of Edie Doyle earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the time, she was just two days away from giving birth to her first child. While accepting the award, she humorously remarked, “I may have the baby right here!”

She subsequently appeared in several films, including That Certain Feeling, A Hatful of Rain, Raintree County, Exodus, All Fall Down, 36 Hours, Grand Prix, The Russians Are Coming, The Stalking Moon and Cancel My Reservation.

One of her most memorable performances came in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller North by Northwest, in which she played Eve Kendall opposite Cary Grant. The film became one of the most celebrated works of her career.

Beyond cinema, Saint maintained a long career in television and theatre, working across different entertainment formats over several decades.

She married television director Jeffrey Hayden in 1951 after the two met on a subway. Hayden directed several popular television shows, including Leave It to Beaver and The Incredible Hulk. The couple also appeared together in a San Francisco production of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters in 2011.

Saint is survived by her husband, two children, Darrell and Laurette, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, leaving behind a distinguished legacy in American cinema and television.