Susan Saint James

'Susan Saint James' (qv) was a lovely and slightly loony TV successor to 'Shirley MacLaine' (qv), her mildly kooky and clumsy free spirits came into vogue during the "free love" era of the late 60s.Of German, Irish and English ancestry, Saint James was born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles on August 14,1946, to Charles Daniel Miller, a businessman, and Constance Geiger Miller. Both her mother and grandmother were school teachers. Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Susan was a model briefly during her teens in both the U.S. and in France. She later attended the Connecticut College for Women.Ready to try her luck in Hollywood, luck came almost immediately when Susan tested and landed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios. If that wasn't enough luck, her very first TV job would be a plum "girl Friday" role on a TV-movie pilot starring ultra cool 'Anthony Franciosa' (qv) and sexy femme fatale 'Jill St. John' (qv).As an eager but awkward amateur sleuth in the whodunnit crime mystery _Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966)_ (qv), audiences immediately took to Susan as the editorial assistant to investigative reporter Franciosa who snooped way too much and often found herself in life-threatening circumstances. Saint James would continue her role as Peggy Maxwell when the series was picked up. _The Name of the Game (1968)_ (qv), with its revolving trio of stars 'Anthony Franciosa' (qv), 'Robert Stack' (qv) and 'Gene Barry' (qv), became a hit and Susan earned three Emmy nominations, copping the trophy on her first try during the 1968-1969 season.Cleverly downplaying her sexy allure and model good looks for a more down-to-earth appeal, Susan also had a fun recurring role as a equally klutzy thief who complicates things for 'Robert Wagner' (qv)'s suave cat burglar in _It Takes a Thief (1968)_ (qv). She hit her TV peak, however, as Police Commissioner 'Rock Hudson' (qv)'s plucky wife in _McMillan & Wife (1971)_ (qv) from 1971 to 1976, her character still managing to get into her usual share of danger and trouble. She earned three more Emmy nominations.Having gotten her feet wet on the big screen with a few featured/co-star roles in the private eye drama _P.J. (1968)_ (qv), the convent comedy _Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! (1968)_ (qv), and the crime thriller _Jigsaw (1968)_ (qv), Susan earned particular notice in the 1970's with the action comedy _Outlaw Blues (1977)_ (qv) opposite 'Peter Fonda' (qv), the cult Dracula spoof _Love at First Bite (1979)_ (qv) opposite 'George Hamilton' (qv) and the female buddy crime caper _How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980)_ (qv) with 'Jane Curtin' (qv) and 'Jessica Lange' (qv). Surprisingly, none off these set the foundation for a lasting movie career.Wisely, Susan returned to her comfy TV series format co-starring (again) with 'Jane Curtin' (qv) in the liberal-minded sitcom _Kate & Allie (1984)_ (qv), which would last five seasons. She earned two additional Emmy nominations playing an adventurous libber versus Curtin's more conservative character. Saint James also thrived on TV movie comedies and dramas with several vehicles including _Magic Carpet (1972)_ (qv), _Desperate Women (1978)_ (qv), _Night Cries (1978)_ (qv), _The Girls in the Office (1979)_ (qv), _The Kid from Nowhere (1982)_ (qv) and _I Take These Men (1983)_ (qv) coming her way.Saint James chose to back away from the limelight following the cancellation of _Kate & Allie (1984)_ (qv). Moving to Connecticut, she devoted her time to raising a family and would also dedicate herself to charity work, notably the Special Olympics where she served on the Board of Directors. Since then, she has received several honors as a spokesperson for volunteerism.In later years, Susan appeared infrequently on talk shows (David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey) and in rare guest star parts on such shows as "M*A*S*H." She went on to grace the first episode of _The Drew Carey Show (1995)_ (qv) in which niece 'Christa Miller' (qv) was a co-star. More recently, she has been glimpsed on episodes of the TV series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Suits" and had a recurring role on several 2020 episodes of "Upland." In 2008, Susan received a star on the Walk of Fame for her TV work.Formerly married to writer/producer 'Richard Neubert' (qv) and makeup artist 'Tom Lucas' (qv), Saint James is married to NBC executive 'Dick Ebersol' (qv), best known for his work on _Saturday Night Live (1975)_ (qv). She is the mother of five children, two by Lucas and three by Ebersol.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net