Eva Marie Saint is a famous American film and television actress and producer who is best known for her performance as Edie Doyle in Elia Kazan’s 1954 film ‘On the Waterfront’ and as the femme fatale Eve Kendall in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film ‘North By Northwest’. Saint was felicitated with an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work in ‘On the Waterfront’ and also received BAFTA nominations for both films. Some of her other prominent films include ‘A Hatful of Rain’, ‘Raintree County’, ‘Exodus’, ‘Grand Prix’ and ‘Superman Returns’.
Saint began her career as a television actress. She made several episodic appearances in various television shows and received Emmy nominations for her performances in ‘The Philco Television Playhouse’ and ‘Our Town’. She also featured in the recurring role of Virginia Hayes in the TV series ‘Moonlighting’. Saint was honoured with a Primetime Emmy for her performance in the 1990 TV mini-series ‘People Like Us’.
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Early Life and Education
Saint was born on 4 July 1924 in the city of Newark, New Jersey, as the only child of her parents, father John Merle Saint and mother Eva Marie Rice, after whom she was named. She was raised in Delmar in New York by her devout Christian parents. Saint has part English and part German ancestry.
Saint graduated from the Bethlehem Central High School, Delmar, New York in 1942. She then attended Bowling Green State University to study acting where she was also a Delta Gamma Sorority member. In 1944, Saint served in the capacity of the Bowling Green Student Government Secretary. After Saint became a popular actress, the University named a theatre on the campus in her honour. She was also inducted into the Hall of Fame of her former high school in 1996.
Career Rise
Although Saint began her acting career in 1946, she gained prominence in 1955 when she received her first two Emmy nominations for her performances in TV shows, ‘The Philco Television Playhouse’ and ‘Our Town’. Saint had become prominent TV actor by 1955 and was dubbed the ‘the Helen Hayes of television’. Saint rose to international prominence when she made her silver screen debut in Elia Kazan’s 1954 film ‘Waterfront’ with Marlon Brando in the lead. Her portrayal of Edie Doyle won her an Academy Award in the Best Supporting actress category and even earned her a BAFTA nomination in the “Most Promising Newcomer” category. She then starred in the first ever film on drug-addiction ‘A Hatful of Rain’ in 1957 earning another BAFTA nomination and in the Civil War film ‘Raintree County.
Saint was next cast in Alfred Hitchcock’s cult hit ‘North by Northwest’ as the femme fatale Eve Kendall which ranks at Number 40 on the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time list by the American Film Institute. Saint was known for working in fewer but poignant projects such as ‘Exodus’ in 1960, ‘All Fall Down’ in 1962, ‘The Sandpiper’ and ’36 Hours’ in 1965, ‘, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming’ and ‘Grand Prix’ in 1966 and received some of the very best reviews of her film career for her performance as Selma Wilson in the 1970 film ‘Loving’. After being dis-satisfied with the film roles offered to her, Saint appeared in the TV series ‘Moonlighting’ and did several TV movies. Her later works include the films ‘Nothing In Common’, ‘I dreamed of Africa’, ‘Don’t Come Knocking’ and appeared as Martha Kent in the 2006 film ‘Superman Returns’.
Eva Marie Saint- Young Pictures
Latest Pictures
Personal Life
Saint dated and later married film director and producer Jeffrey Hayden on 28 October 28 1952. The couple became parents to two children together, a son named Darell Hayden born in 1955 and a daughter named Laurette Hayden in 1958.
Saint and Hayden spent 65 years together as a married couple, until Hayden passed on 24 December 2016 at 90 years of age.
Eva Marie Saint – Net Worth
Saint has an estimated net worth of approximately $20 Million.