Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress best known to television audiences for playing Kate McArdle in Kate & Allie and horror comedy fans for starring alongside George Hamilton in Love at First Bite, has died at the age of 80. Saint James died Monday of pancreatic cancer, her representative confirmed to People.
Susan Saint James in Love at First Bite
Released in 1979, Love at First Bite stars George Hamilton as Count Dracula, who leaves Transylvania for New York City after being evicted from his castle. Believing that Cindy Sondheim, played by Saint James, is the reincarnation of his long-lost love, Dracula sets out to find her in the modern world.
The film put a comedic spin on the Dracula legend, with Hamilton playing the vampire as a romantic outsider struggling to adapt to life in the 1970s. Saint James played Cindy, the woman at the center of Dracula’s romantic pursuit.
Kate & Allie Made Susan Saint James a Television Favorite
Saint James also became a familiar face to sitcom audiences as Kate McArdle in Kate & Allie. Running on CBS from 1984 to 1989, the series followed Kate and her best friend, Allie Lowell, played by Jane Curtin, two divorced women who share an apartment while raising their families. Saint James appeared in all 122 episodes across the show’s six-season run. The series centered on friendship, single parenthood, and the challenges of rebuilding life after divorce, with Saint James and Curtin forming the heart of the comedy.
Before Kate & Allie, Saint James had already established herself on television through McMillan & Wife, in which she played amateur detective Sally McMillan opposite Rock Hudson from 1971 to 1976. She earned three Emmy nominations for her work on that series.
Susan Saint James’ Career and Legacy
Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, Saint James made her screen debut in the 1966 NBC TV movie Fame Is the Name of the Game. She reprised her role in the follow-up series The Name of the Game, winning an Emmy in 1969 for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series. She received further Emmy nominations in 1970 and 1971.
Her other film credits included Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows!, Outlaw Blues, What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?, How to Beat the High Cost of Living, and Carbon Copy. Her television work ranged from guest appearances on M*A*S*H* and The Drew Carey Show to later roles in Suits, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Upload.
In a statement issued to People, Saint James’ family said, “She was generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up. She taught her children to pause, be kind and look out for other people.”
Saint James is survived by her husband, NBC executive Dick Ebersol; four children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol, and Willie Ebersol; her seven grandchildren; her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey; and her beloved service dog, Lola. Her youngest son with Ebersol, Teddy Ebersol, died in a plane crash in November 2004.
Susan Saint James leaves behind a body of work that ranged from sitcoms and detective dramas to a playful spin on the Dracula legend. Our condolences go out to her family, friends, and fans.
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