Susan Saint James emerged as a prominent and beloved television actress throughout the 1970s and 1980s, best known for her starring roles in the stylish detective series McMillan & Wife and the groundbreaking sitcom Kate & Allie. Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, California, she began her career as a model before transitioning to acting. Her early television appearances included guest spots on popular series like The Name of the Game, a show that would later feature her in a recurring role and earn her an Emmy Award in 1969 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series.

Her career-defining role arrived in 1971 when she was cast as Sally McMillan, the witty and adventurous young wife of San Francisco Police Commissioner Stewart McMillan, played by Rock Hudson, in the NBC Mystery Movie wheel series McMillan & Wife. The chemistry between the leads and the show's blend of crime-solving and lighthearted domestic comedy made it a hit, solidifying Saint James's status as a television star. During the run of the series, she married makeup artist Tom Lucas in 1971, following a brief first marriage to writer-director Richard Newburgh from 1967 to 1968.

After McMillan & Wife concluded, Saint James continued to work in television and film, including a starring role in the short-lived sitcom The Love Boat spin-off The Love Boat II. Her personal and professional life took a significant turn when she met Dick Ebersol, then an executive producer for Saturday Night Live, whom she married in 1981. She found her second major television success in 1984 with Kate & Allie, a CBS sitcom in which she starred opposite Jane Curtin. The show, which followed two divorced mothers and their children sharing a home in New York City, was both a critical and commercial success, praised for its smart writing and portrayal of contemporary women. It ran for six seasons and earned Saint James multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Following the end of Kate & Allie in 1989, Saint James significantly scaled back her acting career to focus on her family with Ebersol, which included raising their three sons. She made occasional television appearances in the following decades but largely retired from the spotlight. Her life with Ebersol was marked by profound tragedy in 2004 when their youngest son, Teddy, died in a plane crash. Susan Saint James remains a respected figure from a classic era of American television, remembered for her intelligence, charm, and the relatable, strong-willed characters she brought to life.