Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James has passed away at 80. She was best known for her roles in television series such as McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie.
A representative confirmed her death on Tuesday, October 27, with Deadline reporting that she died of pancreatic cancer. Saint James is survived by her husband Dick Ebersol, four children, seven grandchildren, and sister Mary Mercedes Dewey.
An official statement from her family described the late actress as “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up. She taught her children to pause, be kind, and look out for other people. Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the clerk at the shoe store, who usually walked away knowing her entire life story.”
Susan Saint James was born on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles. She grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where she began her career as a model in her teens. Her first major role came in 1966’s TV film Fame Is the Name of the Game. Eventually, she became a series regular when the film was adapted into the series The Name of the Game. For her performance in the show as Peggy Maxwell, she won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in 1969.
One of her breakout performances was in McMillan & Wife. The light crime drama series featured her opposite Rock Hudson. She played Sally McMillan, the wife of Hudson’s police commissioner character. Later, she featured in movies such as Outlaw Blues, Love At First Bite, and How to Beat the High Cost of Living. Saint James’ next major role came in the series Kate & Allie, where she played a divorced mother. She also made a guest appearance as Joy McAfferty in the popular legal drama Suits, appearing in the Season 1 episode “Bail Out.”
Mandatory sends condolences to Susan Saint James’ friends and family at this time.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
