The Emmy-winning actress starred opposite Rock Hudson in McMillan & Wife and Jane Curtin in Kate & Allie. She died Monday after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who starred in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, died Monday, Oct. 26. She was 80.
A representative confirmed her death to People. She died after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Variety and The Associated Press reported.
In a statement, her family said she “never met a stranger.” They described her as someone who valued time and energy more than money, and who taught her children to pause, be kind and look out for other people.
Who was Susan Saint James?
She was born Susan Jane Miller on Aug. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, and grew up in Rockford, Ill. She worked as a model before moving into acting.
One of her early TV roles came on ABC’s It Takes a Thief. She appeared in the show’s 1968 pilot, then returned in a recurring role as Charlene “Charlie” Brown opposite Robert Wagner.
Her breakout came on NBC’s The Name of the Game, where she played Peggy Maxwell from 1968 to 1971. The role won her the 1969 Emmy for outstanding continued performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series. She was nominated again in 1970 and 1971.
What was Susan Saint James’ role in McMillan & Wife?
She played Sally McMillan, the wife of Rock Hudson’s San Francisco police commissioner, on NBC’s McMillan & Wife from 1971 to 1976. The mystery series was part of the NBC Mystery Movie lineup.
The role earned her three more Emmy nominations, in 1972, 1973 and 1975. She left before the show’s sixth and final season after a contract dispute.
What was Kate & Allie about?
Kate & Allie premiered on CBS on March 19, 1984, and ran for six seasons and 122 episodes, ending in 1989. Saint James played Kate McArdle opposite Jane Curtin’s Allie, two divorced moms raising their kids under one roof in New York City.
Saint James was nominated for lead actress in a comedy series in 1984 and 1985. Curtin won both years.
Altogether, Saint James earned one Emmy and eight nominations, according to the Television Academy.
She also made movies, including:
Outlaw Blues (1977), with Peter Fonda
Love at First Bite (1979), with George Hamilton
How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980), with Jessica Lange and Jane Curtin
Carbon Copy (1981), Denzel Washington’s first film
Later, she guest-starred on ABC’s The Drew Carey Show, playing the mother of the character played by her real-life niece, Christa Miller. She got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.
How did Susan Saint James meet Dick Ebersol?
She met Dick Ebersol when she hosted Saturday Night Live in October 1981, and they married about six weeks later. Ebersol went on to become chairman of NBC Sports.
The family suffered a terrible loss in November 2004. Their youngest son, Teddy, died at 14 in a plane crash in Montrose, Colo. Ebersol and their son Charlie survived the crash.
Saint James spent decades supporting the Special Olympics. She started volunteering in the early 1970s, and she later served on its board of directors.
She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol; her children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol; seven grandchildren; and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Deadline (Oct. 27, 2026), her death, the family statement and her survivors
Variety (Oct. 27, 2026), the cause of death and her career
The Associated Press, via ClickOrlando (Oct. 27, 2026), her career, family and Special Olympics work
The Hollywood Reporter (Oct. 27, 2026), her early life, roles and marriage
Television Academy, her Emmy record
UPI (1986), her Special Olympics volunteering
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