Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning US actress known for ‘McMillan & Wife’ and ‘Kate & Allie’, has died at 80 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Her representative confirmed her death on Monday to People magazine.
In a statement, her family remembered her as a kind and generous person who always put others first. They said she remained positive despite losing her youngest son, Teddy, in a plane crash in 2004.
Family recalls her kindness
The family said James made everyone she met feel important. They also recalled how she helped them cope with their loss.
“She never met a stranger. 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. Her defining act: weeks after losing her youngest son, Teddy, in the November 28, 2004 plane crash, she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children and her husband, giving them words to heal. Even in the deepest grief of her life, she put everyone else first. Days after the crash, she sat with Tim Russert to thank the people who had reached out and to tell them the family was okay,” the statement reads in part.
They also praised her positive outlook in the years that followed.
“She brought that same fire and positivity to everything that followed, and never lost it. She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, her four children–Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol–her seven grandchildren; her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey, as well as her beloved service dog, Lola.”
Susan Saint James’ acting career
James moved to Los Angeles at 20 to pursue acting. She secured a seven-year contract with Universal Studios and made her television debut in the 1966 film ‘Fame Is the Name of the Game’.
In 1968, she landed a role in the television series ‘The Name of the Game’. Her performance earned her three Emmy nominations. She won one in 1969.
She later starred in the detective series ‘McMillan & Wife’, which ran from 1971 to 1976. The role earned her two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a television drama series.
From 1984 to 1989, James starred in the sitcom ‘Kate & Allie’. She received a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 1984.
In 1979, she also earned a Saturn Award nomination for best actress for her role in the comedy film ‘Love at First Bite’
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