Actress Susan Saint James, recognized for her husky voice and her Emmy win for The Name of the Game, passed away on October 26, 2026, due to pancreatic cancer. She was 80 years old.
A representative for the actress confirmed her death to People magazine. Her survivors include her husband, Dick Ebersol, former head of NBC Sports and executive producer of Saturday Night Live.
In a statement, Saint James's family described her as someone who was “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to anyone who needed to be lifted up. She taught her children to pause, be kind, and look after others.”
Who was Susan Saint James and how did her career begin
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. She started her acting career in the 1966 television movie titled Fame Is the Name of the Game, after which she landed guest roles on the series Ironside.
When that film was developed into the series The Name of the Game, Saint James secured a role as a series regular. She won an Emmy for that role in 1969 and was nominated in each of the following two years.
In 1968, she had a co-starring role in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows, a sequel to the popular comedy The Trouble with Angels. She also appeared in series of the era such as It Takes a Thief and Alias Smith and Jones.
McMillan & Wife, the role that established her alongside Rock Hudson
Her most iconic role of her early years came in 1971, when she was cast to star alongside Rock Hudson in the NBC crime series McMillan & Wife. The highly popular show featured Saint James playing the younger wife who also participated in solving crimes.
The series ran for six seasons, with its final episode airing on April 24, 1977. However, Saint James had left the project earlier due to a contract dispute. Her character was written out of the plot via a plane crash, and the title was shortened to McMillan, removing the “& Wife” portion. The show did not survive another season. During her time on the series, Saint James received four Emmy nominations for her performance.
After leaving the hit series, Saint James maintained a prolific film career, co-starring with Peter Fonda in the movie Outlaw Blues (1977), with George Hamilton in Love at First Bite (1979), and alongside Jessica Lange and Jane Curtin in How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980).
Kate & Allie, the reunion with Jane Curtin
Saint James and Curtin would reunite four years later in what would become one of the highlights of both their careers. The CBS sitcom Kate & Allie premiered on March 19, 1984, with the two actresses playing divorced mothers and childhood friends who decide to share a home in New York's Greenwich Village.
Saint James played Kate, the more free-spirited and spontaneous of the two, while Curtin played Allie, who was more conservative and uptight. The combination was a critical and commercial success, appreciated for its intelligent humor and its warm, pioneering approach to chosen family, a concept that would resonate decades later in the comedy Grace and Frankie, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The series was created by Sherry Coben.
For her role as Kate, Saint James received two Emmy nominations, while Curtin accumulated three nominations and won twice. In total, Saint James earned eight Emmy nominations throughout her career, including a win obtained during five consecutive years, between 1969 and 1974.
Personal life and the 2004 family tragedy
After Kate & Allie, Saint James largely stepped away from show business—though she would occasionally appear in guest roles—to dedicate herself to raising her family. She had two children from her second marriage, to makeup artist Thomas Lucas, and three children with her third husband, Saturday Night Live executive producer Dick Ebersol. The couple met when she hosted the NBC comedy show in 1981.
Tragedy struck the family on November 28, 2004, when a private plane carrying Ebersol and his sons Charles and Teddy crashed at the Montrose Regional Airport in Colorado. Dick and Charles Ebersol survived, but 14-year-old Teddy died along with a pilot and a flight attendant. Following the death of her son, Saint James dedicated much of her time to working with parents who had lost children.
According to confirmed information, Saint James is survived by her husband Dick Ebersol, four children, seven grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.
The full family statement
Saint James's family shared the following statement in her memory: “[Susan was] generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to anyone who needed to be lifted up. She taught her children to pause, be kind, and look after others. 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 a shoe store, who usually ended up knowing her entire life story. Her most defining act: weeks after losing her youngest son, Teddy, in the plane crash on November 28, 2004, she delivered his eulogy in the form of a note addressed 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 those who had reached out and tell them the family was doing well. She carried that same fire and positivity into everything that followed, and she 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.”
Frequently asked questions about Susan Saint James
When and of what did Susan Saint James die?
Susan Saint James passed away on October 26, 2026, due to pancreatic cancer, at the age of 80, as confirmed by her family to People magazine.
For which series is Susan Saint James best known?
She is especially remembered for her roles in McMillan & Wife, Kate & Allie, and The Name of the Game, the series for which she won an Emmy Award in 1969.
How many Emmy nominations did Susan Saint James receive?
Throughout her career, she accumulated eight Emmy nominations, including the win obtained in 1969 for The Name of the Game, as well as nominations for McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie.
Who survives Susan Saint James?
She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, her four children—Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol, and Willie Ebersol—seven grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.
What family tragedy did Susan Saint James suffer?
On November 28, 2004, a private plane carrying her husband Dick Ebersol and their sons Charles and Teddy crashed at the Montrose Regional Airport in Colorado. Dick and Charles survived, but 14-year-old Teddy died in the accident.
