Though On the Waterfront was a critical (and commercial) success, receiving twelve Academy Award nominations and winning eight, a majority of the critic’s attention was on the performance of Eva Marie Saint, who made her film debut at age thirty in the film. Though On the Waterfront was her first film, Saint was far from a novice, having extensive experience in television and theater. In fact, Saint started her career as an NBC page, a highly competitive intern-like position working on the sets of various NBC shows. Additionally, Saint was nominated for an Emmy several times before On the Waterfront, winning in 1955.
Elia Kazan first discovered the actress when she was starring in the play The Trip to Bountiful. Though he was immediately drawn to her acting ability, he was still considering Elizabeth Montgomery for the part. In the end, Kazan felt Montgomery gave a “high-class” demeanor and chose Saint (who was from New Jersey) instead. During filming, Saint would leave her New York house in the morning, travel to the Hoboken set and film OTW scenes and then act in the play during the evening.
Though she was a member of the Actor’s Studio (which Kazan started), Saint initially was nervous about working with such big stars, crying before she left for set on her first day. However in later interviews, Saint admits Kazan was her favorite director. During her first scene, when she first talks to Terry on the rooftop, Kazan simply whispered to her “This is the first time you are up there with a strange man on a roof top… I want you to pretend there’s a wild animal that could come out at any time.” Saint appreciated Kazan’s subtle direction, though she also had close ties with director Alfred Hitchcock, who directed her in the film North by Northwest.
In her following career, Saint has made sporadic movie appearances (20 films from 1955-2005), preferring to work on television or the stage, which she believes challenges her to give emotionally complex performances. This striving for emotional depth is what got Saint noticed in the first place, with critics appreciating Saint’s emphasis on her acting ability and not her pretty face.
If one were to look for a modern day equivalent of Eva Marie Saint, actress Lupita Nyong’o would be an excellent comparison. Classically trained like Saint, Nyong’o also made her silver screen debut when she was thirty, appearing in the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave, which she also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (just like Saint). Additionally, Nyong’o screen appearances have remained limited after 12 Years a Slave, appearing in just two films after 2013. However, Lupita has remained active on the stage, acting in the play Eclipsed both On and Off Broadway, since 2015. Also, both Saint and Nyong’o emphasize their acting abilities over their appearances, giving emotionally powerful performances that are lauded by critics and audiences alike. Both women are trailblazers for the female actor, displaying how attention to character and emotionally-driven performances can bring a distinct type of acting to films.
