Hollywood has lost one of the last bright links to its golden age. Eva Marie Saint, who won an Oscar for her very first film role, has died, her family’s representative, Jeff Sanderson, confirmed on October 6, 2026. She was the oldest living Academy Award winner, a quiet force who held her own opposite Marlon Brando and Cary Grant in two of the most beloved films of the 1950s. Her passing adds a cherished name to the stars Hollywood has lost in 2026, and Sanderson has shared how she spent her final moments.
Keep reading to learn how Eva died, who she leaves behind and the roles that made her a legend.
Eva died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles on October 6, 2026. Sanderson told Rolling Stone that she was surrounded by family and loved ones at the end.
Her death closes a remarkable chapter of film history. Eva spent nearly eight decades in the business, moving from live television in the 1940s to the big screen and eventually to voice work in audio dramas.
Eva was 102 years old. She was born on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey, and she celebrated her 102nd birthday on July 4, 2026. That made her the most senior of all living Oscar winners, Deadline noted.
Yes. Eva married director Jeffrey Hayden on October 28, 1951, and the couple stayed together for 65 years until his death on December 24, 2016. They welcomed two children, son Darrell and daughter Laurette, and Eva never hid that her family came before her career, CBS News reported.
Darrell made his entrance in famous fashion. Eva was nine months pregnant when she accepted her Oscar in 1955, and she joked to the audience, as CBS News recalled:
