Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her roles in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, has died at the age of 80, leaving behind a lasting legacy in American television.

LOS ANGELES — Susan Saint James, the Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her roles in the television series McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, has died at the age of 80, according to a report by People magazine citing a representative for the actress.

Saint James reportedly died on Monday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her death marks the loss of a familiar face in American television, where she built a successful career spanning several decades through her memorable performances in crime dramas, sitcoms, and television films.

Her family remembered her as a warm and welcoming person who had a remarkable ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

“She never met a stranger,” her family said in a statement to People, describing how everyone she encountered seemed to become the most important person in the room. Whether speaking with a fellow board member or a store clerk, she made people feel comfortable and valued.

Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, Saint James grew up in Rockford, Illinois, after her father relocated there for work. She began modeling as a teenager in Paris before returning to Los Angeles at the age of 20, where she secured a seven-year contract with Universal Studios.

Her television debut came in the 1966 television movie Fame Is the Name of the Game, starring Tony Franciosa. Two years later, she gained a recurring role in the television drama The Name of the Game, which featured rotating lead actors Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack.

Saint James played Peggy Maxwell, a research assistant who worked with all three lead characters. Her performance earned her an Emmy Award in 1969, establishing her as a rising talent in television.

Before her breakthrough in The Name of the Game, she had appeared in the crime series It Takes a Thief, starring Robert Wagner. Her other early television credits included Ironside, McCloud, and Alias Smith and Jones. She also made a guest appearance in an episode of the popular television series MASH* in 1980.

Saint James became widely recognized for her role alongside Rock Hudson in McMillan & Wife, the 1970s crime series that combined police investigations with elements of comedy and domestic life. Her performance helped make the show a familiar title among television audiences of the era.

In the 1980s, she reached another career milestone with Kate & Allie, the sitcom in which she co-starred with Jane Curtin. The series followed two divorced women who shared a home and raised their children together, offering a humorous look at family life, friendship, and the challenges faced by working mothers.

Beyond television, Saint James appeared in the 1968 film Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows, which starred Rosalind Russell and Stella Stevens. She was also known for her distinctive, throaty voice, which contributed to her recognizable screen presence.

Throughout her career, Saint James moved comfortably between drama and comedy, earning recognition for performances that helped define several popular television programs of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

While her work brought her into American homes for decades, her family’s tribute offered a glimpse of the person behind the performances: someone remembered not only for her acting but also for her kindness, warmth, and ability to make strangers feel like friends.

Her legacy lives on through the television shows and performances that introduced her to generations of viewers.

Susan Saint James’ Legacy: ‘McMillan & Wife’ Star

Susan Saint James, the Emmy-nominated actress best known for starring in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, leaves behind a remarkable legacy in American television, film, and family life. From her celebrated performances alongside Rock Hudson and Jane Curtin to her resilience through profound personal tragedy, Saint James built a career and personal legacy that extended far beyond Hollywood.

Saint James achieved widespread recognition as Sally McMillan, the spirited wife of San Francisco police commissioner Stewart McMillan, played by Hudson, in the popular NBC crime drama McMillan & Wife. The series ran from 1971 to 1976, earning her three Emmy Award nominations for her portrayal of the character. Her charm, humor, and lively screen presence helped make the show a memorable part of American television history.

However, Saint James left the series before its sixth and final season following a contract dispute. Her character was written out through a plane crash, marking the end of one of the defining roles of her career. She subsequently pursued opportunities in feature films, demonstrating her versatility beyond television.

Her film credits included Outlaw Blues in 1977, opposite Peter Fonda, the 1979 vampire comedy Love at First Bite with George Hamilton, and the 1980 comedy How to Beat the High Cost of Living, in which she appeared alongside Jessica Lange and Jane Curtin. She also co-starred in the 1981 romantic comedy Carbon Copy, which marked Denzel Washington’s feature-film debut.

Although her film career did not achieve the same level of success as her television work, Saint James returned to the small screen with another career-defining role. In 1984, she reunited with Curtin for the CBS sitcom Kate & Allie, playing Kate, a free-spirited divorced mother opposite Curtin’s more reserved Allie. The series ran until 1989 and earned Saint James two additional Emmy nominations, reinforcing her status as one of television’s recognizable leading actresses.

Away from acting, Saint James’ personal life became closely connected to the entertainment industry through her marriage to Dick Ebersol, the influential television executive who later became chairman of NBC Sports. The two met in 1981 when Saint James guest-hosted Saturday Night Live and Ebersol was the show’s executive producer. They married approximately six weeks after meeting and had three sons together: Charlie, Willie, and Teddy.

Their family endured an unimaginable tragedy in November 2004, when their youngest son, Teddy, died at age 14 in a private plane crash that also killed the pilot and a flight attendant. Ebersol and their son Charlie survived but sustained serious injuries.

The family had been spending Thanksgiving in Los Angeles and was traveling back with several planned stops. Saint James had left the aircraft in Colorado to travel to the family’s second home before the plane continued toward Indiana. The aircraft crashed during takeoff in snowy conditions.

In a family statement, Saint James’ loved ones recalled how she responded to the devastating loss by placing her family’s emotional needs first. Weeks after Teddy’s death, she delivered his eulogy in the form of a personal note to her husband and each of her other children, offering words intended to help them heal. Her family described the gesture as a defining example of her compassion during the darkest period of her life.

Saint James and Ebersol also faced difficulties in their marriage. She filed for divorce in 2002, but the couple reconciled later that year. In an interview with People magazine at the time, Saint James described their reconciliation as a second chance and said she was happier than ever.

Ebersol later paid tribute to his wife in his 2022 memoir, From Saturday Night to Sunday Night, calling her the greatest partner he had ever had.

When Kate & Allie ended in 1989, Saint James largely stepped away from acting to concentrate on raising her younger children in Litchfield, Connecticut, while Ebersol pursued his executive career at NBC Sports. Although she made occasional television appearances in later years, she chose family life over maintaining a full-time Hollywood career.

Her later credits included guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show, where she played the mother of her real-life niece Christa Miller’s character, as well as roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Suits. In 1999, she also appeared in a stage production of The Miracle Worker in Torrington, Connecticut.

Beyond entertainment, Saint James explored entrepreneurship. In 1998, she, her sister Mercedes Dewey, and a friend established Seedling and Pip, a baby gift-basket business based in Litchfield that emphasized books and thoughtful gifts for young children. She was also a longtime supporter of Special Olympics, volunteering with the organization and serving on its board of directors.

Saint James’ family included her daughter Sunshine and son Harmony from her second marriage to makeup artist Tom Lucas, with whom she remained friends, as well as sons Charlie and Willie from her marriage to Ebersol. She was also connected to the entertainment world through her niece Christa Miller, whose early television work included Kate & Allie. Saint James’ first marriage, to Richard Neubert, ended in divorce.

From her breakthrough television performances to her later commitment to family, business, and charitable work, Susan Saint James established a legacy that reached beyond her most famous roles. Her work on McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie remains central to her place in television history, while the strength and compassion recalled by her family offer another lasting dimension to her life and legacy.

/APNEWS, Reuters,