Emmy-winning Television Star Susan Saint James Dies at Age 80
WHO:
CNN - Saint James was born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles and raised in Rockford, Illinois.
CNN - Saint James married Dick Ebersol, then executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” after meeting while she guest-hosted the show; they had three sons, Charlie, Willie and Teddy.
CNN - Saint James also had daughter Sunshine and son Harmony with makeup artist Tom Lucas, and son Miller.
Deadline - Susan Saint James was an actress known for her husky voice and roles in *McMillan & Wife* and *Kate & Allie*.
Variety - Susan Saint James was an Emmy-winning actress who starred opposite Rock Hudson in *McMillan & Wife* and Jane Curtin in the CBS sitcom *Kate & Allie*.
Deadline - Saint James’s family described her as “generous with her time” in a statement.
WHAT:
CNN - Saint James’s family said, “Even in the deepest grief of her life, she put everyone else first.”
CNN - In “The Name of the Game,” Saint James played Peggy Maxwell, a research assistant who worked for three rotating lead characters portrayed by Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry and Robert Stack.
CNN - Saint James’s family said that in the 2004 plane crash, Dick Ebersol and son Charlie survived with serious injuries; the pilot and flight attendant also died.
CNN - The family’s statement said that after Teddy’s death, Saint James gave each of her other children and her husband a note with his eulogy, “giving them words to heal.”
CNN - Saint James told People in 2002, “We had a second chance. I’m amazingly happier, so that’s a good sign.”
CNN - Saint James played the mother of her real-life look-alike niece Christa Miller on “The Drew Carey Show.”
CNN - Saint James’s baby-gift-basket business Seedling and Pip focused on books.
CNN - Saint James remained friends with makeup artist Tom Lucas after their marriage.
CNN - Miller’s first television role was on “Kate & Allie.”
CNN - Saint James made her television debut in the 1966 movie “Fame is the Name of the Game,” starring Tony Franciosa.
CNN - Before “The Name of the Game,” Saint James had a recurring role in “It Takes a Thief,” starring Robert Wagner.
CNN - Saint James left “McMillan & Wife” before its sixth and final season after a contract dispute; her character was killed off in a plane crash.
CNN - Saint James’s family said she delivered her son Teddy’s eulogy as a note to her other children and husband weeks after his death, “giving them words to heal.”
CNN - In his 2022 memoir, Dick Ebersol called Saint James “the greatest partner I’ve ever had by far.”
CNN - Saint James won an Emmy in 1969 for playing Peggy Maxwell on “The Name of the Game.”
CNN - She received three Emmy nominations for “McMillan & Wife” and two for “Kate & Allie.”
CNN - Her other screen credits included “It Takes a Thief,” “Ironside,” “McCloud,” “Alias Smith and Jones,” “M*A*S*H,” “Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows,” “Outlaw Blues,” “Love at First Bite,” “How to Beat the High Cost of Living” and “Carbon Copy.”
CNN - She retired after “Kate & Allie” ended to focus on raising her younger children and later made guest appearances on “The Drew Carey Show,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Suits.”
CNN - Saint James and her sister Mercedes Dewey and a friend founded the baby-gift-basket business Seedling and Pip.
CNN - She supported Special Olympics as a volunteer and board member.
CNN - Saint James’s family said, “She never met a stranger,” and described her kindness toward everyone she encountered.
Deadline - Saint James died at age 80.
Variety - Saint James died at age 80.
Deadline - A representative for Saint James confirmed her death to People.
Variety - A representative confirmed her death to People.
Deadline - Saint James’s family issued a statement about her.
WHERE:
CNN - The family’s plane stopped in Colorado, where Saint James got off to go to the family’s second home; the plane crashed after taking off again for Indiana in snowy weather.
CNN - Saint James starred in “The Miracle Worker” in a production in Torrington, Connecticut.
CNN - Saint James later raised her younger children in Litchfield, Connecticut.
WTNH - Susan Saint James attended Connecticut College for Women.
WHEN:
NY Post - Saint James was photographed celebrating her 80th birthday in final photos before her death.
CNN - Saint James’s son Teddy died in a plane crash on Nov. 28, 2004.
CNN - Saint James was born Aug. 14, 1946.
CNN - She modeled as a teenager in Paris and moved back to Los Angeles at 20, where she signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios.
CNN - “McMillan & Wife” ran from 1971-76; “Kate & Allie” ran from 1984-89.
CNN - Saint James guest-hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1981 and married Ebersol about six weeks after they met.
CNN - She and Ebersol filed for divorce in 2002 and reconciled later that year.
CNN - Their son Teddy died at age 14 in a 2004 private-plane crash.
CNN - Saint James, Dewey and a friend founded Seedling and Pip in 1998.
WHY:
Deadline - Saint James died of pancreatic cancer.
Variety - Saint James had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
HOW:
CNN - Saint James’s first marriage, to Richard Neubert, ended in divorce.
Deadline - Her representative confirmed her death to People.
Variety - Her death was confirmed to People by a representative.
(UPDATED October 28, 2026 03:59 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, known for “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” has died at 80 of pancreatic cancer. She won an Emmy for “The Name of the Game” and earned nominations for both hit series, later retiring from acting to focus on raising her children and supporting Special Olympics. Her family remembered her as generous and kind; after her son Teddy died in a plane crash, she wrote a note of his eulogy for each of her loved ones, offering them words to heal.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 23:10 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, known for “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” has died at 80 of pancreatic cancer. She won an Emmy for “The Name of the Game,” later retired from acting to raise her children, and volunteered with Special Olympics. Her family remembered her as generous and kind, and said that after her son Teddy died in a 2004 plane crash, she shared his eulogy with her husband and children in notes meant to help them heal.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 20:05 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, known for “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” has died at 80 of pancreatic cancer. She won an Emmy for her role as Peggy Maxwell on “The Name of the Game” and earned five more nominations for her work on the two hit series. Saint James later retired from acting to raise her family, volunteered with Special Olympics, and was remembered by her family as generous and kind.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 19:02 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, best known for “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” has died at 80 from pancreatic cancer. She won an Emmy for “The Name of the Game” and earned five more nominations for her later television roles, before retiring to focus on raising her younger children. Her family remembered her as generous and kind, saying she “never met a stranger.”
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 17:59 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, best known for “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” has died at 80 of pancreatic cancer. She won an Emmy in 1969 for “The Name of the Game” and earned five more nominations for her later television roles. Her family remembered her as generous and kind, saying she never met a stranger; outside acting, she volunteered with Special Olympics and helped found the baby-gift business Seedling and Pip.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 17:06 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, known for her husky voice and starring roles in *McMillan & Wife* and *Kate & Allie*, has died at 80 of pancreatic cancer. A representative confirmed her death, and her family remembered her as “generous with her time.” Saint James starred opposite Rock Hudson and Jane Curtin during her television career.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 14:12 UTC)
Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James, known for her husky voice and starring roles in *McMillan & Wife* and *Kate & Allie*, has died at 80. She died of pancreatic cancer, and a representative confirmed her death to People. Her family described her as “generous with her time.”