Hollywood’s famous people either come from glitzy backgrounds or have a challenging past to share. Either way, the world that praises and thrashes these celebrities must know of some of the unique and interesting facts about them. After all, they are people, too, just like everyone else.
Before we come to 20 interesting facts about Eva Marie Saint, let’s give a little bit of introduction to one of Hollywood’s most living and legendary female actors to ever exist.
Born on July 4, 1924, Eva Marie Saint is an American retired actress who has had an amazing and astonishingly long successful career spanning various fields such as film, theatre, radio, and television. Her acting career is as long as 75 years, which makes her a well-reputed and respected name in the industry.
She was born in New Jersey and was raised in New York. Her success is highly immeasurable, and her contribution to both film and television has earned her an Oscar and an Emmy award, respectively. Eva Marie Saint is a living legend indeed.
Alma Mater- Bowling Green State University
Saint’s alma mater is Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio. During her time, she joined the Delta Gamma Sorority. Besides studying acting as her course, she was also an active member and participant of the university’s theatre honorary fraternity called the Theta Alpha Pi.
At the same time, she served as the record keeper of the student council in the year 1944. Her maiden acting role at the university was in her sorority’s own production of Personal Appearance as the lead actor.
Taught at Actor’s Studio
Like other popular and well-respected actors of her time, Eva Marie also studied acting at Actor’s Studio in New York City. Actor’s Studio is a professionally membered organization for screenplay and acting enthusiasts like actors, theatre directors, and playwrights. It is known to be the training center for most professional actors and is known to have trained stars like Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, and many others.
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Early days at NBC
She first began work as an NBC Page team member. She has worked relentlessly for NBC. Later on, she appeared in NBC’s live show Campus Hoopla in 1946-47. She also appeared in NBC’s Bonnie Maid’s Versa Tile Varieties as one of the singers.
Oscar earned at first featured film
Even after deciding to part ways with her acting career, Saint was persuaded by a renowned director Elia Kazan to audition for a role. He gave her the debut role in his film On The Waterfront, which garnered praise and attention from most. She made her debut role in Hollywood as the sister of a murder victim.
Her acting and her beauty were praised, and it showed in the amazingly huge sales at the box office. This role gave her an Academy Award, and the most astonishing fact is that she received the award just 48 hours before giving birth to her firstborn.
First paid role at $15
Eva Marie Saint had once stated that her first-ever paid role was for applauding in front of the camera for “The Borden Show.” She received a total amount of $15 for this. This wasn’t Hollywood-worthy, of course, and it wasn’t glamorous. But it did allow her to buy a new dress. I mean, we all start from somewhere in our life, right?
2 Hollywood Stars
On a more recent note, Eva Marie Saint has earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for motion pictures and the other one for television at 6624 Hollywood Boulevard and at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard, respectively.
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Teaching was her initial choice of career
Eva Marie Saint initially had plans for her career to be in the teaching line. She was also studying for her education major at university, but after acting in a play, she got attached to the acting line of art and was determined to continue in this field. However, after an appearance as one of the supporting roles in a television broadcast of Trip to Bountiful, she thought of parting ways with acting as a career.
She cited the fact that the casting directors and those around her were more focused on her beauty and bust size than her talent. This was what put her off the most. As depressing as it may sound, the world was still largely sexist and not very progressive.
Femme fatale role success in the second film
Eva Marie Saint’s second film North by Northwest, was well-received by the public and critics at the box office. Even though it wasn’t glamorous like any other female role, Saint played the role of a femme fatale in Alfred Hitchcock’s film North by Northwest.
The movie changed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s direction in his career and has since become an iconic film. Saint had no idea that her performance in this role would serve as a role model for all forthcoming spy films, particularly those starring female actors.
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Saint almost turned down North by Northwest
When Hitchcock first presented the script for her role in his new film North by Northwest, Saint was hesitant to do such a unique and daring role right after her success in On The Waterfront.
But her husband, director Jeffrey Hayden consoled her and gave her a piece of wonderful advice, “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.”
Had it not been for her husband’s persuasion, we may never have Eva Marie Saint in a badass role like the one in North by Northwest.
Family first is her motto
Eva Marie Saint has always been a firm believer in putting family beyond all things. It seems that she has rejected quite a number of roles in other succeeding films, which may have helped her in her career. Nonetheless, she’s been an iconic figure.
When Saint resumed her acting career on the sets of Exodus, she made sure her entire family was present with her in Europe throughout the filmmaking. Her entire family included her children, her husband, her parents, and her in-laws.
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A rebel at heart
Saint has always been an iconic figure for defying societal norms and gender norms from the mid-twentieth century. She almost got kicked out of her apartment by her landlady during one of her early working days.
Her landlady had clear instructions regarding restrictions on boys, alcohol, and smoking. When Saint got beer as payment from her early working days for a beer commercial, the landlady caught her with it and almost kicked her out.
Saint cleared the misunderstandings and assured her landlady that the beer was for her father and that she would never be consuming such at her apartment.
Emmy for her role in People Like Us
Eva Marie Saint played a vicious matriarch in a rising television series named People Like Us. The mini-series brought her additional fame and attention from the public and critics. Her acting was classy and unlike her previous roles.
For the amazing execution of the matriarch, Eva Marie Saint won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special in the year 1990.
Recent career
More recently, Eva Marie Saint has come back to acting in a few influential roles, such as Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Superman, in the 2006 movie Superman Returns.
The actress has also starred in the film adaptation of the novel Winter’s Tale as the adult version of Willa, which was released on Valentine’s Day in the year 2014.
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Older than Oscars
Eva Marie Saint presented the award for Best Costume Design at the 2018 Academy Award ceremonies. She playfully joked that she’s even older than the Oscars, which is indeed a fact, as she appeared back in the Academy Award ceremonies after 64 years.
Numerous Nominations
Saint received various nominations for her incredible and outstanding performances in drama series and films.
- 1978: Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special
- 1958: Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
- 1958: BAFTA Film Awards-Best Foreign Actress
- 1956: Emmy-Best Actress-Single Performance
- 1955: Emmy-Best Actress in a Single Performance
- 1955: BAFTA Film Awards-Most Promising Newcomer to Film
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Legend of Korra voice-over
Saint has always dreamt of doing a voice-over for a Pixar movie. Even though that still remains uncertain for now, she has fortunately appeared on Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra as a voice-over for Katara, one of the main characters of the original show Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Embarrassing moment in front of an NBC tour
Saint, in one of her earlier days of popularity, was changing during a commercial break but was unluckily seen by an NBC tour that was just passing by wearing only a bra.
Pee heard on an Interview
One of the other embarrassing moments for Saint was when her pee was caught on recording for a live interview on Person to Person. Saint had peed without knowing that her mic was live and fully functioning.
Famous Red Roses Dress
One of Saint’s iconic looks was from North by Northwest, in a stunning red roses dress. The dress was black in color, with red roses painted on it throughout the surface. Saint acquired the dress while shopping with Hitchcock for other required dresses for the role. Saint blessed the world with her gorgeous red rose dress and stunning visuals.
Happily Ever After with Husband
Unlike most infamous Hollywood marriages that end up with divorces and scandals, Eva Marie Saint married director Jeffrey Hayden and the two lived together for a long time until Hayden passed away in 2016. The two were the definition of a married couple who lived happily ever after.
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