Chloë M. Smith Ph.D., Sc.D.

We lost another legend today 😔 Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress beloved for Kate & Allie and McMillan & Wife, has died at 80. There was something refreshingly natural about Saint James on screen. Whether she was playing a free-spirited single mother, the clever wife of a police commissioner or stepping into a dramatic guest role, she brought an easy warmth and independence that made her characters feel like people you actually knew. Her career connected generations of television viewers, from the prestige dramas of the late 1960s and the mystery shows of the ’70s to one of the defining sitcoms of the ’80s. Some of her most popular roles: • Kate McArdle — Kate & Allie • Sally McMillan — McMillan & Wife • Peggy Maxwell — The Name of the Game • Cindy Sondheim — Love at First Bite • Aggie O'Shea — MAS*H • Vivian Whitney — Carbon Copy • Jane — How to Beat the High Cost of Living • Tina Waters — Outlaw Blues • Joy McAfferty — Suits • Monica Bradshaw — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Saint James eventually stepped away from Hollywood’s constant spotlight, but the characters remained. For generations who grew up watching her, she wasn't simply another familiar television face. She was part of what home felt like when the television came on. Rest in peace, Susan Saint James.