Susan Saint James, the American actor known for McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, has died at 80. Reports published on October 27 by AP and People en Español cited a representative who confirmed her death on Monday, October 26, following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Saint James built a career spanning television drama and comedy. AP recalled her early work as a model in Paris before she returned to Los Angeles at 20 and signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios.
Her role as research assistant Peggy Maxwell in The Name of the Game brought an Emmy in 1969. Television Academy records confirm that win and eight career nominations, including recognition for McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie. Those records place her success across several decades of American television.
In McMillan & Wife, she played Sally opposite Rock Hudson from 1971 to 1976, according to AP. She later starred alongside Jane Curtin in Kate & Allie, which ran from 1984 to 1989. The two series became the roles most closely associated with her career, moving her from crime drama to situation comedy.
In a statement carried by People, her family remembered her generosity and the attention she gave everyone she met, regardless of their position. AP also noted her longstanding support for Special Olympics, including volunteer work and service on its board, alongside her acting career.
After Kate & Allie ended, she stepped away from regular acting to raise her younger children in Connecticut, although she later made occasional guest appearances, AP reported. Her survivors include husband Dick Ebersol and four children. The family's remembrance emphasizes both her television work and her care for others.
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