LOS ANGELES — Eva Marie Saint died of natural causes on Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 102. Family representative Jeff Sanderson confirmed the death, stating that she was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time.

She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Edie Doyle in the 1954 film "On the Waterfront." Frank Sinatra presented the award during the 1955 ceremony. Her son Darrell was born two days after she accepted the Oscar.

"I may have the baby right here. But I would love to thank Elia Kazan and Sam Spiegel, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Boris Kaufman, all the longshoremen. Thank you," she said in her acceptance speech.

She recalled the moment in a 2010 interview. "If you ever see footage of me — when they announce my name — you can see me pause and wait a moment," she said. "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.'"

Born on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, she was raised in a Quaker family before moving to Delmar, New York. She attended Bowling Green State University with plans to become a third-grade teacher like her mother, graduating in 1946. After living with her parents in Flushing, Long Island, she launched her career as a radio actor in New York City.

She received her first paycheck of $10 as an off-camera applauder on "The Borden Show" and did modeling work. She landed roles in radio serials such as "Rosemary" and "Young Doctor Malone" after a year of searching for acting jobs. A 1949 Life magazine feature chronicled her early struggles in the entertainment industry.

She began studying at the Actors Studio in 1948 and credited Lee Strasberg with helping her overcome shyness. "Lee Strasberg, when he got to know me a little bit, gave me a scene to do where I had to cry in front of my peers," she said in a 2009 interview. "I worried about it, I worked on it, I tried to use what I was learning at the studio. I finally did the scene, and I cried, and my peers were crying with me. It was just an incredible moment for me."

She was cast in "Mister Roberts" in 1947 but was reduced to an understudy for Jocelyn Brando, serving in the role for six months without substituting. She made her Broadway debut in the premiere production of "The Trip to Bountiful" in 1953, winning a Drama Critics Award for her performance. Elia Kazan cast her in "On the Waterfront" after seeing her performance in the play.

In "On the Waterfront," she played Edie, a Catholic schoolgirl seeking justice for her murdered longshoreman brother. The film was nominated for 12 Oscars and won eight, including best picture, actor, director, and supporting actress. She called Brando "wonderful" and "probably the finest actor I’ve ever worked with," though she recalled him as somewhat intimidating.

"I felt that he could see right through me," she said in a 2013 interview. She also reflected on her craft, stating, "The longer you live, the smarter you get, because you've been around, you've seen things. You've gone through different emotional experiences in your own life, and hopefully, you understand things better. And that makes you a better actress."

She married Jeffrey Hayden in 1951, and the couple remained married for 65 years until his death in 2016 at the age of 90. They had two children, Darrell and Laurette. She limited her roles after marrying to devote more time to her children but continued to appear in approximately 20 feature films.

She starred as Eve Kendall in Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 film "North by Northwest," a role her husband persuaded her to accept. "I vividly remember him saying, ‘Honey, I think you should find a quiet spot. I’ll take care of the children and I want you to really think about this and reread this script,'" she said in a 2014 interview. "He was so right. And that’s what husbands are for." Hitchcock personally chose her costumes for the film during a shopping trip to Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

"North by Northwest" is ranked No. 40 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time. She co-starred with Cary Grant in the film and later said, "He worked with me from the outside in. My hair, my makeup, my shoes, my jewellery, my purse, my gloves, everything. And just from creating that exterior for me, he gave me the sense of a spy lady."

She appeared in seven films in her first decade in Hollywood, including "That Certain Feeling" opposite Bob Hope in 1956 and the 1957 film version of "A Hatful of Rain," for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She appeared alongside Montgomery Clift in "Raintree County" and played a woman infatuated with Warren Beatty’s character in "All Fall Down" in 1962.

Her later film roles included appearances in "Exodus," "The Sandpiper" with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and Norman Jewison’s comedy "The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming" in 1966. She co-starred with George Segal in "Loving" and appeared in "36 Hours" and "Grand Prix." In 1986, she appeared in "Nothing in Common" with Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason, playing Hanks' mother.

She was one of the first breakout talents from early television, making her TV debut on "Camp Hoop La." She became a regular on "One Man’s Family" and appeared in anthology series such as "Philco Playhouse," "Robert Montgomery Presents," and "Studio One." Her television credits include "School for Bachelors," "A Carol for Another Christmas," and the miniseries "How the West Was Won." She had a recurring role as Cybill Shepherd's mother on "Moonlighting" and a cameo as Roz’s mother in "Frasier."

She received five Emmy nominations during her career, including nods for "The Middle of the Night," a TV musical production of "Our Town" co-starring Paul Newman and Frank Sinatra, and "How the West Was Won." She won an Emmy Award in 1990 for her role as Lil Van Degan Altemus in the miniseries "People Like Us," which was adapted from Dominick Dunne’s novel. She had four prior nominations before winning.

She returned to the theater in stock productions and acted on Broadway in "The Lincoln Mask" in 1972 and opposite Henry Fonda in "The First Monday in October" in 1979. She appeared in a Chicago production of "Duet for One" in 1983. Her final big screen appearance was in the 2014 film "Winter's Tale," adapted from Mark Helprin’s novel, where she played the sister of Colin Farrell's character.

She appeared in the 2005 film "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "Don’t Come Knocking" as Sam Shepard’s mother. In 2006, she appeared in "Superman Returns" as Martha Kent, using footage of Marlon Brando from 1978 with permission from his estate. She also appeared in the 2019 film "Mariette in Ecstasy" and played Marisa Tomei’s aunt in the 2021 audio play "The Bus Ride." She presented the Best Costume Design award at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018.

Ahead of her 100th birthday in 2024, she said, "I certainly don’t feel 100 years old. 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." In a 2014 interview, she advised, "You know how to stay young? Go with the flow." She is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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She said in a 2000 interview: "I don’t know what happened, but ... [Brando] came in the living room. We were dancing, we were laughing, I was crying. He was taking my skirt and ... whipping it around, and the sparks flew. And Kazan saw that. And suddenly I was in On the Waterfront." She and Jeffrey Hayden were married for 65 years. She made her feature film debut in "On the Waterfront." She described her audition for "On the Waterfront" as involving questions about her weight, height, and bust size. Alfred Hitchcock personally chose her costumes for "North by Northwest" during a shopping trip to Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. Elia Kazan cast her in "On the Waterfront" after seeing her performance in The Trip to Bountiful. She said that Elia Kazan invited her to audition for "On the Waterfront" by improvising a scene with Marlon Brando.