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‘Kate & Allie’ star Susan Saint James dead at 80
Confirmed
In Short: Susan Saint James, known for her roles in 'Kate & Allie' and 'McMillan & Wife,' passed away Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James died Monday at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to People magazine.
Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, Saint James grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where she began modeling as a teenager before pursuing acting.
Saint James broke into television in 1966 with a role in the made-for-TV movie 'Fame Is the Name of the Game,' and her breakthrough came in 1968 when she landed the role of research assistant Peggy Maxwell on NBC's 'The Name of the Game.'
Her performance in 'The Name of the Game' earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 1969, establishing her as one of television's rising stars.
Saint James later starred alongside Rock Hudson in 'McMillan & Wife' from 1971 to 1976, earning three Emmy nominations, including a win for supporting actress in a drama series.
In 1984, Saint James found renewed success in the popular CBS sitcom 'Kate & Allie,' where she starred alongside Jane Curtin as two divorced mothers who decided to live together and raise their children in the same home.
Saint James largely retired from acting after 'Kate & Allie' wrapped in 1989, but she made occasional appearances on shows like 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' and 'Suits.'
Saint James was a dedicated volunteer with the Special Olympics and started a baby gift basket business with her friend Barrie Johnson and her sister, Mercedes Dewey, in 1998.
Her family and friends remembered Saint James for her kindness and generosity. 'She never met a stranger,' her family said in a statement to 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.'
Saint James is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, her four children, her seven grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.
What this adds
Saint James' career had a lasting impact, especially through the work of her niece, Shrinking star Christa Miller.
Background
Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress known for her roles in 'McMillan & Wife' and 'Kate & Allie,' has died at the age of 80.
Veteran actor Tom Skerritt, known for roles in 'Alien,' 'Top Gun,' and 'Picket Fences,' died Wednesday of natural causes.
Kate & Allie is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from March 19, 1984, to May 22, 1989, starring Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin as two divorced mothers who decided to live together and raise their children in the same home. The series was created by Sherry Coben.
What's confirmed
- Saint James was cast as Peggy Chan, the editorial assistant to Tony Franciosa’s investigative journalist Jeff Dillon in the 1966 made-for-TV movie Fame Is the Name of the Game.
- Saint James, 80, died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, People magazine reported.
- James passed away Monday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Variety reported.
- Susan Saint James, an Emmy-award winning actress beloved for her roles in TV shows like “Kate & Allie” and “McMillan & Wife,” has died.
- People magazine, citing a representative for the actor, said Saint James died Monday.
- “She never met a stranger,” her family said in a statement to People.
- The Hollywood Reporter, which confirmed James' passing via family, said the actress was 20 years old when she scored a part alongside Franciosa in the 1966 NBC/Universal TV movie "Fame Is the Name of the Game."
- Her breakthrough came in 1968 when she landed the role of research assistant Peggy Maxwell on NBC's "The Name of the Game." Her performance earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 1969 and established her as one of television's rising stars.
- Saint James is survived by her husband, her four children – Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol – her seven grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.
- A video obituary courtesy of the Associated Press looks back at Susan Saint James’ career, including her roles in "McMillan & Wife" and "Kate & Allie." Susan Saint James, the actress known for "McMillan & Wife" and "Kate & Allie," has died.
- Actress Jane Curtin is mourning the death of her "Kate & Allie" co-star Susan Saint James.
- (Gray News) - Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James has died.
What's still developing
- In 2024, Saint James recalled Hudson’s teasing answer to her question of why he championed her over contenders like Jill Clayburgh and Diane Keaton for the series: “Years later, I asked Rock why he picked me. He said, ‘I was getting so fat from having lunch with actresses that I just decided to go with you!’” Saint James would land her last plum role in 1984.
- 14, 1946, Saint James’ parents, a teacher and a film camera company executive, moved the family to Rockford, Ill., when she was still a girl.
- But the impact of her trailblazing career still lives on, especially through the work of her niece, Shrinking star Christa Miller.
- It was there the budding screen star grew up, getting her start as a model.
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- She and her co-stars also said they knew at the time that the series was something special.
- The statement said she instilled in her children, James, a habit of being kind to others and helping those in need.
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- She is also known for roles in "Love at First Bite," "How to Beat the High Cost of Living," "M*A*S*H," " Law & Order: SVU " and "Suits." Offscreen, Saint James was married to longtime NBC executive and former " Saturday Night Live" producer Dick Ebersol, whom she met while hosting the comedy show in 1981.
- Shortly thereafter, she signed a weekly contract with Universal and began appearing in films like “Where Angels Go” and “Trouble Follows,” both of which premiered in 1968.
- “We lost a decent person today,” the actress wrote in a statement to Page Six Tuesday.