Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning performer who charmed television audiences for decades on series including “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” died Monday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a representative confirmed to People. She was 80.
Her relatives released a statement remembering her warmth, describing her as someone who gave freely of her energy and presence. “She never met a stranger,” the family said, according to reports from Deadline and Variety. “Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the clerk at the shoe store, who usually walked away knowing her entire life story.”
A Decades-Long Television Career
Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 1946, Saint James grew up in Rockford, Illinois, and began modeling during her teenage years. After moving to California in her twenties, she signed a studio contract with Universal and landed early screen appearances, including a role in the 1968 comedy film “Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows.”
Her major television breakthrough arrived on the NBC drama “The Name of the Game.” Playing editorial assistant Peggy Maxwell, Saint James received three consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations, securing an Emmy win in 1969.
In 1971, Saint James took on the role of Sally McMillan in NBC’s lighthearted procedural “McMillan & Wife,” playing the spirited spouse of a San Francisco police commissioner portrayed by Rock Hudson. The pairing made the show a commercial success, generating multiple Emmy nominations for Saint James across five seasons. She departed the program prior to its final season following a contract dispute, prompting writers to kill off her character in an off-screen plane accident.
Sitcom Success and Step Back From Hollywood
Saint James made a celebrated return to series television in 1984 on the CBS sitcom “Kate & Allie.” Starring alongside Jane Curtin, the program followed two divorced childhood friends who decide to move into a Greenwich Village residence together to raise their children under one roof.
The groundbreaking premise drew critical praise and sustained commercial success, running for six seasons and earning Saint James two additional Emmy nominations. Outside of television, she appeared in feature films such as “Outlaw Blues” in 1977 opposite Peter Fonda and the 1979 vampire comedy “Love at First Bite.”
Following the conclusion of “Kate & Allie” in 1989, Saint James largely stepped back from regular screen work, though she later made occasional guest appearances on series such as “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Suits.” In 2008, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Family Life and Philanthropy
In 1981, Saint James met NBC executive Dick Ebersol while guest-hosting “Saturday Night Live.” The two married shortly thereafter and remained together for 45 years.
Tragedy struck the family on Nov. 28, 2004, when a private aircraft carrying Ebersol and two of their sons crashed at an airport in Montrose, Colorado. While Ebersol and their son Charlie survived the incident, their 14-year-old son, Teddy, died alongside two crew members. In subsequent years, Saint James spent time counseling and supporting other grieving parents while also serving as a longtime advocate for the Special Olympics.
Saint James is survived by Ebersol, four children, seven grandchildren, her sister, and her service dog, Lola. Details regarding memorial services or public arrangements were not immediately announced.
