Susan Saint James, Beloved Star of McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, Dies at 80

POLICY WIRE — Los Angeles, USA — Susan Saint James, the celebrated actress who captivated television audiences as the co-star of the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife and the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie, has passed away at the age of 80.

A representative for the actor confirmed to People magazine that she died on Monday following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

In a statement provided to the publication, her family reflected on her warmth, noting that she never met a stranger. They described her as someone who made every person she encountered feel like the most important individual in the room, whether they were a fellow board member or a retail clerk.

Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, she spent her formative years in Rockford, Illinois, before launching a modeling career in Paris as a teenager. By age 20, she returned to Los Angeles, securing a seven-year contract with Universal Studios and making her television debut in the 1966 film Fame is the Name of the Game.

Her career gained significant momentum in 1968 when that project transitioned into a series titled The Name of the Game. As the research assistant Peggy Maxwell, she provided essential continuity alongside rotating leads Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack, earning an Emmy Award for the role in 1969.

Before her breakout, she appeared in series such as It Takes a Thief, Ironside, McCloud, and Alias Smith and Jones. She also held a supporting role in the 1968 film Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows, and later guest-starred on M*A*S*H in 1980.

She achieved widespread fame as Sally McMillan, the spirited wife of Rock Hudson’s character in the hit series McMillan & Wife, which aired from 1971 to 1976. Her performance earned her three Emmy nominations before a contract dispute led to her departure and the subsequent death of her character in a plane crash.

Following her exit, she appeared in films including Outlaw Blues, Love at First Bite, How to Beat the High Cost of Living, and Carbon Copy, the latter of which marked Denzel Washington’s movie debut. She later reunited with Jane Curtin for the successful CBS sitcom Kate & Allie, which ran from 1984 to 1989 and garnered her two additional Emmy nominations.

While guest-hosting Saturday Night Live in 1981, she met Dick Ebersol, the show’s executive producer and future NBC Sports chairman. The couple married six weeks later and had three sons: Charlie, Willie, and Teddy.

Tragedy struck the family in 2004 when 14-year-old Teddy died in a private plane crash that also claimed the lives of the pilot and a flight attendant. Ebersol and Charlie survived the accident, which occurred as the plane attempted to depart Colorado for Indiana during snowy conditions.

Her family highlighted her resilience during that period, noting that weeks after the crash, she delivered a eulogy for Teddy that served as a source of healing for her husband and surviving children. Despite her profound grief, she consistently prioritized the needs of others.

Although she filed for divorce from Ebersol in 2002, the couple reconciled later that year, with Ebersol describing her in his 2022 memoir as the greatest partner he ever had. Following the conclusion of Kate & Allie, she largely retired from acting to focus on raising her children in Litchfield, Connecticut.

In her later years, she made occasional guest appearances on shows like The Drew Carey Show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Suits. She also co-founded a baby gift business called Seedling and Pip in 1998 and remained a dedicated supporter and board member of the Special Olympics.

She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol; her children Sunshine and Harmony from her marriage to Tom Lucas; her sons Charlie and Willie; and her niece, Christa Miller. Her first marriage to Richard Neubert ended in divorce.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)