Award-Winning Actress Susan Saint James, Kate & Allie and McMillan & Wife Star, Dies at 80

• Susan Saint James, the beloved veteran actress known for her Emmy-winning TV roles, died on Monday, 26 October, after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis
• The actress rose to fame through two iconic TV series and earned multiple Emmy nominations across her decades-long career
• Her family released a moving statement remembering her as a selfless woman who always put others first, even in her darkest moments

Veteran actress Susan Saint James, celebrated for her memorable roles on classic American television, has passed away at the age of 80.

A representative for the actress confirmed to PEOPLE that Saint James died on Monday, 26 October, following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Her family released a heartfelt statement mourning the loss.

"She was generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up," the family said. "She never met a stranger. Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment."

The family also recalled an extraordinary moment of selflessness following the 28 November 2004 plane crash that claimed the life of her youngest son, Teddy.

Weeks after the tragedy, Saint James delivered his eulogy as a message of healing to her surviving children and husband. "Even in the deepest grief of her life, she put everyone else first," the statement read.

She is survived by her husband, NBC executive Dicck Ebersol, four children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol, seven grandchildren, her sister Mary Mercedes Dewey, and her service dog, Lola.

A career defined by Iconic roles

Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles in 1946 and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Saint James changed her surname at age 20 and moved to Hollywood to pursue her lifelong dream of acting. She signed with Universal Studios and quickly began building her screen presence.

Her breakthrough came with the TV series The Name of the Game, which she joined in 1968 and for which she received three Emmy nominations, winning once.

In 1971, she joined *McMillan & Wife* opposite Rock Hudson, earning three further Emmy nominations across five seasons on the show.

Saint James then found another wave of success in 1984 when she teamed up with Jane Curtin on the sitcom Kate & Allie, playing one of two divorced best friends raising their children together.

The show was praised for portraying mothers as fully rounded, complex human beings. Saint James received two additional Emmy nominations before the series wrapped in 1989.

Life beyond the screen

Off-camera, Saint James led a rich personal life. She married NBC executive Dicck Ebersol in 1981, just 42 days after they met during her hosting stint on Saturday Night Live.

"I knew I was going to take down my old boyfriends' pictures and ask him what he wanted for breakfast," she told PEOPLE in 1983.

In 2008, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, cementing her legacy as one of television's most enduring figures.

Veteran actor Alan Dysert’s death leaves fans heartbroken

Legit.ng earlier reported that Alan Dysert, who played Sean Cudahy on ABC's All My Children, passed away on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the age of 75.

His wife Michelle confirmed the news in a heartfelt statement, revealing he had been fighting a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Dysert had previously written a 2023 autobiography about his decades-long cancer journey, during which he never stopped acting or teaching.