Eva Marie Saint Biography: From Newark Roots to Hollywood Stardom
Discover the inspiring journey of Eva Marie Saint from Newark to Oscar-winning roles in Hollywood classics like On the Waterfront and North by Northwest.

Eva Marie Saint was born in Newark, New Jersey, and studied acting at Bowling Green State University, where she became a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. She began her career in radio and television, earning early acclaim by winning the Drama Critics Award in 1953 for her performance in The Trip to Bountiful.
Saint made her cinematic debut in On the Waterfront (1954), starring alongside Marlon Brando. Her compelling performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to appear in several major films, including A Hatful of Rain (1957) with Don Murray, Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller North by Northwest (1959) opposite Cary Grant, and Exodus (1960), a historical epic starring Paul Newman.
In the 1970s, dissatisfied with the roles being offered in film, Saint returned to television. By the 1980s, she had also returned to the stage. Her television work earned her widespread acclaim, including an Emmy Award in 1990 for her role in the miniseries People Like Us.
In 2006, Saint appeared as Martha Kent, Superman’s adoptive mother, in Superman Returns. She is honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—one for film (6624 Hollywood Blvd.) and another for television (6730 Hollywood Blvd.).
Eva Marie Saint married director and producer Jeffrey Hayden in 1951. They remained together until his death in 2016 and had two children: Darrell (born 1955) and Laurette (born 1958).