Superman star and Hollywood legend Eva Marie Saint dies aged 102

Eva Marie Saint, the Hollywood icon known for her roles in On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, has died at the age of 102. The actor, who won an Academy Award in her career, was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Jeff Sanderson, a representative for the family, confirmed that the acting legend died on Tuesday (6 October). She was surrounded by her family and loved ones in her home in Los Angeles, and is said to have passed away from natural causes.

Saint made her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in 1954's On the Waterfront, with the pair winning Academy Awards for their performances. It also won Best Picture and Best Director, and is considered one of the finest American films ever made.

Five years later, Saint had a lead part alongside Cary Grant in North by Northwest, a spy thriller from famed director Alfred Hitchcock. Featuring James Mason in a supporting role, the film is regarded as one of the filmmaker's finest works.

In the 1960s, her projects included All Fall Down and Grand Prix, which also starred Warren Beatty and James Garner respectively. She also appeared alongside Hollywood power duo Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The Sandpiper.

After making only four films between 1968 and 1999, Saint returned to Hollywood at the turn of the century, and played Martha Kent in 2006's Superman Returns. Her final role was in Winter's Tale, in 2014.

Film lovers were quick to pay tribute to the late actor, with one writing on X: "The chill that just went down my spine…truly one of the last links to old hollywood and it never gets easy to lose someone, no matter their age. rest in peace, sweet Eva."

"It's always sad when a link to the classical Hollywood era leaves us, and Eva Marie Saint was arguably one of the last. She had a remarkably long career and worked with so many greats. She will be missed," wrote another.

"God speed Eva Marie Saint. A career spanning 8 decades and had some of the greatest depth of an actor I have ever seen," said one user on X, while a fourth called her a "true star of the silver screen".

Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.