Susan Saint James, Beloved TV Actress of the ’70s and ’80s, Dies at 80
Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who charmed television audiences in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, has died. She was 80.
Saint James died on Monday, Oct. 26, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a representative confirmed to People.
Known for her warmth, quick wit and lighthearted screen presence, Saint James became one of television’s most recognizable stars across two decades before stepping away from acting at the height of her career.
From Rockford to Hollywood
Saint James was born Susan Jane Miller on Aug. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles. She was raised in Rockford, Illinois, where her father had transferred for work, and she began modeling as a teenager in Paris.
She found early success on television in the late 1960s, including a role on The Name of the Game, a series that helped establish her as a rising star.
A Breakout on ‘McMillan & Wife’
Saint James’ biggest break came in 1971, when she was cast as Sally McMillan opposite Rock Hudson in the NBC series McMillan & Wife. Hudson played Stewart McMillan, the police commissioner of San Francisco, while Saint James played his adventurous wife, who often found herself caught up in his cases.
The show rotated with Columbo and McCloud as part of the NBC Mystery Movie lineup, and the role earned Saint James Emmy nominations in 1972, 1973 and 1975.
She left the show before its sixth and final season because of a contract dispute, and her character was written out in a plane crash. Saint James then turned her attention to feature films.
A Turn to the Big Screen
Saint James starred in several films in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She appeared alongside George Hamilton in the 1979 vampire comedy Love at First Sight and in the heist comedy How to Beat the High Cost of Living.
In 1981, she co-starred in the romantic comedy Carbon Copy, a film notable as the big-screen debut of Denzel Washington.
‘Kate & Allie’ and a Beloved Partnership
Saint James returned to series television in 1984, starring opposite Jane Curtin in the CBS sitcom Kate & Allie. The show followed two divorced mothers who move in together with their children in New York City.
Saint James played Kate McArdle, the more free-spirited of the two friends, and the role earned her two more Emmy nominations. The series ran for six seasons and 122 episodes before ending in 1989.
To star in the show, which taped in New York City, Saint James moved to Connecticut in 1983.
Stepping Away From the Spotlight
After Kate & Allie ended, Saint James chose to step away from acting in her mid-40s, leaving Hollywood while she was still one of television’s most familiar faces. She was later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Saint James was married to former NBC Sports executive Dick Ebersol. She is survived by her husband and her children, including daughter Sunshine and son Harmony from her marriage to makeup artist Tom Lucas, and sons Charlie and Willie with Ebersol.
For fans who grew up watching her solve mysteries alongside Rock Hudson or navigate single motherhood with Jane Curtin, Saint James remains one of the most beloved television stars of her era.
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