Susan Saint James, Star of 'McMillan & Wife' and 'Kate & Allie,' Dies at 80
The Emmy-winning actress died Monday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her representative told People magazine.
Susan Saint James, a prominent television actress known for her roles in the 1970s crime series “McMillan & Wife” and the 1980s sitcom “Kate & Allie,” died Monday. She was 80.
Her death followed a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, according to a representative who spoke with People magazine. The magazine cited her family, who stated in a release, “She never met a stranger. 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."
Born Susan Jane Miller on Aug. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, Saint James was raised in Rockford, Illinois. She began her career in modeling in Paris as a teenager. After returning to Los Angeles, she secured a seven-year contract with Universal Studios at age 20.
Her television debut came in the 1966 movie “Fame is the Name of the Game.” She later reprised her role as Peggy Maxwell, a research assistant, in the 1968 series adaptation “The Name of the Game,” earning an Emmy Award in 1969. Early in her career, she also had a recurring role in “It Takes a Thief” and appeared in “Ironside,” “McCloud” and “Alias Smith and Jones."
Saint James achieved significant fame as Sally McMillan, the wife of Rock Hudson's character in the hit series “McMillan & Wife,” which aired from 1971 to 1976. She earned three Emmy nominations for this role.
She departed “McMillan & Wife” before its final season due to a contract dispute, leading her character to be written off the show. Saint James then ventured into feature films, appearing in “Outlaw Blues” (1977), “Love at First Bite” (1979), “How to Beat the High Cost of Living” (1980), and “Carbon Copy” (1981), which marked Denzel Washington’s film debut.
In 1984, she reunited with actress Jane Curtin for the CBS sitcom “Kate & Allie.” The show, which ran until 1989, garnered Saint James two Emmy nominations for her portrayal of the free-spirited Kate, contrasting with Curtin's character, Allie.
Saint James met Dick Ebersol, then executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” while guest-hosting the show in 1981. They married six weeks later and had three sons. The couple experienced a profound tragedy in 2004 when their youngest son, Teddy, died at age 14 in a private plane crash that also claimed the pilot and flight attendant. Ebersol and their son Charlie survived with serious injuries. Saint James' family noted her strength, stating, “Her defining act: weeks after losing her youngest son, Teddy, in the Nov. 28, 2004 plane crash, she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children and her husband, giving them words to heal. Even in the deepest grief of her life, she put everyone else first.”
Saint James and Ebersol divorced in 2002 but reconciled later that year. Ebersol described her in his 2022 memoir as “the greatest partner I’ve ever had by far."
After “Kate & Allie” concluded, Saint James retired to focus on raising her younger children in Litchfield, Connecticut, while Ebersol pursued his executive role at NBC Sports. She continued to make occasional guest appearances, including on “The Drew Carey Show,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “Suits.” In 1999, she starred in a production of “The Miracle Worker” in Connecticut.
In 1998, Saint James co-founded Seedling and Pip, a baby gift basket business specializing in books. She was also a dedicated supporter of Special Olympics, serving on its board of directors.
She is survived by her daughter Sunshine and son Harmony from her second marriage to Tom Lucas, as well as her sons Charlie and Willie with Ebersol, and her daughter Miller. Her first marriage to Richard Neubert ended in divorce.