Susan Saint James, the Emmy Award-winning actress known for her roles in 'The Name of the Game' and 'Kate & Allie,' recently marked her 80th birthday with a gathering at her Los Angeles home. Photos from the August 14 celebration showed Saint James in a white T-shirt and floral skirt, accessorized with a red bandana and sunglasses.
Saint James, who has largely remained out of the public eye for decades, was also photographed with family and friends at the event. Ankle tattoos were visible in the images captured during the celebration.
The actress first gained recognition in the 1960s TV series "The Name of the Game," earning an Emmy Award in 1969. She later starred in "It Takes a Thief" and "McMillan & Wife," the latter of which garnered her four Emmy nominations.
In 1984, Saint James took on the role of Allie, one of two divorced mothers living together with their children in New York City, in the popular sitcom "Kate & Allie." The series concluded in 1989. Following its end, Saint James, then in her 40s, retired from acting to focus on her family life with her husband, TV executive Dick Ebersol, and their children.
Tragedy struck the family in November 2004 when a private plane carrying Ebersol and two of their sons crashed during takeoff in Colorado. While Ebersol and one son survived, their 14-year-old son, Teddy, died in the accident. Saint James has previously spoken about the profound impact of losing a child, describing it as finding a way to "own it, not to walk around it and pretend it didn’t happen."