‘I Miss Him’: Eva Marie Saint on Late Spouse of 65 Years Who Took Care of Their Kids So She Wouldn’t Turn Down a Role

Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint, 99, well-known for starring in the 50s classic “On the Waterfront,” alongside iconic late actor Marlon Brando, shared a beautiful love story with her late husband, Jeffrey Hayden. The couple was married for 65 years until Hayden passed in 2016.

Saint and Hayden’s love story began in 1949. Their initial encounter happened on the always-busy New York City subway.

Hayden was working as a television director and crossed paths with Saint, who was holding a modeling book with her name embedded in little gold letters on it. Of their meeting, Saint recalled Hayden being intrigued, seeing her name at the bottom of the book, and said, “That was the moment” their relationship started to blossom

Eva Marie Saint’s Late Husband, Jeffrey Hayden, Looked After Their Children So She Wouldn’t Turn Down a Movie Role

Hayden adored his wife immensely, so much so that he supported her acting career even when it posed an obstacle after she became a mom. In the 50s, Saint’s career was booming. By the time 1955 rolled around, she had completed the majorly successful movie “On the Waterfront” and given birth to her firstborn son, Darrell Hayden.

Five years later, after welcoming her second child, daughter Laurette Hayden, she received a script for a new film, “North by Northwest.” Initially, Saint was not really impressed by the script’s contents and wasn’t sure if she would pursue the role offered.

However, that’s when her doting spouse stepped in to convince her otherwise. Of the moment he managed to get her to change her mind about the role, Saint recalled:

“I vividly remember him saying, ‘Honey…I’ll take care of the children, and I want you to really think about this and reread this script.”

Saint ended up following her husband’s advice, and in 1959, she went on to star in the thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Looking back on her experience filming it, Saint expressed her excitement to be a part of the movie. She said her favorite memory was when co-star Cary Grant walked up to her and joked about how she would not be allowed to cry in the film and that they would have fun.

Grant had teased Saint with that particular joke because he was referencing her requirement to cry in many of the films she did in the past. According to a news outlet, “North by Northwest” is Saint’s favorite film, despite winning an award for “On the Waterfront.”

In fact, the “Because of Winn-Dixie” star described herself as shy despite her passion for a career that keeps one heavily embedded in the spotlight.

Interestingly enough, when Saint won an Oscar for her role in “On the Waterfront,” she had been pregnant with her son at the time. In fact, she was full-term. When she accepted her esteemed accolade on stage, she quipped about being so excited that she might give birth right on stage. She gave birth to Darrell two days later.

Nearly six decades later, Saint attended the Oscars again, this time as the presenter for the nominees for the Costume Design award. As she embarked on the stage, the audience applauded, and she acknowledged it, saying:

“That means so much to me, having lost my husband last year, after 65 years. And we would come to this Academy every year, and I miss him and [the applause] made up for it, and it was so loud I know he heard it.”

More about Eva Marie Saint’s Career and Why She ‘Never Went Hollywood’

Saint has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for a long time. Her charming starlet persona dates back to the 50s and 60s when her career skyrocketed after the huge success of “North by Northwest.”

Some of her most notable works include “All Fall Down,” “Raintree County,” and “Exodus,” where she starred opposite Paul Newman. Though she did not appear on the silver screen as much during the 80s and 90s, garnering only a few roles here and there, she scored an Emmy for “People Like Us,” a miniseries produced in 1990.

Saint’s more recent works dating back to the early 2000s include “I Dreamed of Africa,” “Papa’s Angels,” “Don’t Come Knocking,” and 2006’s “Superman Returns.” Additionally, she scored a role in “Winter’s Tale” in 2014.

Her extensive and highly accomplished resume boasts Saint as one of the few actors deemed Hollywood royalty. However, the “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” star never had the desire to become ultra-famous.

For Saint, making her family her first priority was and remains what is most important. In a 2014 interview, when asked about whether her career-family balance presented any issues for her, she disclosed:

“It was never an issue because I made decisions. I had an agent once who wanted me to make many more movies. I said, ‘I can’t. I can only do one a year, if that. I have children, young children.’ “

Before firing her agent, Saint said he made a remark about how she would never become a superstar, to which she waved him off. Her family was so important to her that during the filming of “Exodus,” she brought her late husband, their two kids, her mother-in-law, and her parents to Israel along with her.

Dealing with fame was something that never appealed to Saint. One time, when she went to the movies with Grant and the crowd who saw him went wild. She recalled being in awe over how he managed to cope with the chaotic buzz that swirled around him from fans.

In fact, the “Because of Winn-Dixie” star described herself as shy despite her passion for a career that keeps one heavily embedded in the spotlight. Additionally, in the same interview, she expressed having no plans to retire.

Despite her big success in Hollywood, Saint never adopted the sensationalized glitz and glam persona that so many succumb to when they become famous. According to a news outlet:

“She may have spent most of her life in Hollywood, but Oscar-winner Eva Marie Saint never went Hollywood.”

Over the course of her life, Saint has had an incredible career and an even more remarkable love story with her late husband that spanned six decades.