Eva Marie Saint, the oldest living Oscar winner, turned 102 on Saturday, July 4.
Saint’s Turns 102 After Iconic Career
Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1924, Saint skyrocketed to fame when she starred alongside Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan’s classic 1954 movie On the Waterfront. Saint ended up winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work in this incredible film, which still holds up to this day.
Kazan reportedly described her as “perfect . . . she was just perfect. Everybody loved her–especially me!”
Saint is also known for playing the femme fatale role in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 movie North By Northwest. She starred in that classic film alongside Cary Grant.
“There were six of us [Alfred Hitchcock] blondes. And it’s like we were all married to the man at one time or another. And we all have a different take on him,” Saint later said of working with Hitchcock. “Each actress was at a different stage of her life; we were different ages, some married, some not. My experience with Hitch was one of utter respect, warmth, friendliness and humor. And North by Northwest was a glorious time in my life.”
Aside from her Oscar, Saint also won an Emmy and was nominated for two BAFTAs and a Golden Globe throughout her decades-long career. Though she is now retired, she ended her career with 86 film and television credits to her name, according to IMDB. Saint’s most recent role came in 2014, when she voiced Katara in the Nickelodeon series The Legend of Korra.
Saint Comments On Aging
Ahead of her 100th birthday in 2024, Saint gave an interview to People Magazine in which she opened up about how she felt about turning that landmark age.
“I certainly don’t feel 100 years old,” Saint confessed. “I continue to take walks out in the fresh air, like watching baseball — especially the Los Angeles Dodgers, and enjoy time with my family and friends. A good life.”
Saint was married to the late director, writer and producer Jeffrey Hayden from 1951 until he passed away at 90 in 2016. They shared two children, Darrell and Laurette, as well as three grandchildren.
In a 2010 interview, Saint recalled Hayden having to help her get up when she won her Oscar in 1955, just two days before she gave birth to their son.
“If you ever see footage of me — when they announce my name — you can see me pause and wait a moment,” she recalled at the time. “Jeff had his thumb on my thigh; I couldn’t get up. So I slowly walked up and said something like, ‘I’m so excited I might have the baby right here.'”
Back in 2014, Saint spoke out to reveal her secret to staying young.
“You know how to stay young? Go with the flow,” Saint told Fox News.
We can’t argue with that!
Saint is a true living legend, and there will never be another like her. We’d like to wish her a very happy 102nd birthday, and many more to come.
God bless you, Eva Marie Saint!