Susan Saint James, Star of 'McMillan & Wife' and 'Kate & Allie', Dies at 80
Susan Saint James, the actress who starred opposite Rock Hudson in "McMillan & Wife" and with Jane Curtin in "Kate & Allie", died on Monday, Oct. 26. She was 80. A representative confirmed her death to PEOPLE. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to Variety.
Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 1946, she began building a television career in the late 1960s. She played research assistant Peggy Maxwell in NBC's "The Name of the Game". That role won her the Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series in 1969. An Emmy is the television industry's top award for performance, and the win placed her early in a long run of work on the small screen.
Her best-known role came in the 1970s. She played Sally McMillan in "McMillan & Wife" from 1971 to 1976, opposite Rock Hudson. Years later she moved to a comedy about two women who become friends and share a home. "Kate & Allie" starred Saint James and Curtin and ran for six seasons on CBS, beginning in 1984.
The show ended in 1989, and Saint James stepped back from regular work after that. She returned occasionally, with later appearances on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Suits". She also made films, including "Outlaw Blues" (1977), "Love at First Bite" (1979) and "How to Beat the High Cost of Living" (1980).
Away from the cameras, she was a longtime supporter of the Special Olympics, the sports programme for athletes with intellectual disabilities. In 2008 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the sidewalk tribute in Los Angeles that honours figures from film, television, music and live performance.
She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, four children and seven grandchildren. Her family has not announced funeral or memorial arrangements.
For many viewers, her shows were a Monday or weeknight habit, reruns included. Her work from the 1970s and 1980s is still widely seen on streaming services and cable channels, which keep older series in circulation long after they leave the air.
