Susan Saint James
Encyclopedia
Susan Saint James is an American
actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
to a Connecticut
family, Saint James was raised in Rockford, Illinois
where she began modeling
as a teenager. During this time, she attended the Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
in Lake Forest, Illinois
. She later attended the Connecticut College for Women
. Saint James became a household name at the age of 22, starring as an editorial assistant, Peggy Maxwell, on The Name of the Game
. Then came starring roles as Rock Hudson
's younger supportive wife, Sally McMillan, in a popular 1970s
crime drama, McMillan & Wife, and as Jane Curtin
's childhood friend, Kate McArdle, in a 1980s
sitcom, Kate & Allie
.
, where she began her acting career. Her first screen role was in the TV-movie Fame Is the Name of the Game
(1966) with Tony Franciosa, launching her career when the film became a series two years later. Among her other early television appearances were two episodes of the first season of Ironside
("Girl in the Night", December 1967 and two months later, playing a different role in the episode "Something for Nothing"). She also had a supporting role in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows
(1968), the sequel to The Trouble with Angels
.
From 1968 to 1971, as a result of her very first role, in Fame Is the Name of the Game, she had a regular part in the series The Name of the Game
, winning an Emmy Award
for her role in 1969 and establishing her as a popular young actress. She provided series continuity by appearing in most episodes regardless of whether the lead that week was Franciosa, Gene Barry
, Robert Stack
, Peter Falk
, Robert Culp
, Darren McGavin
, or Robert Wagner
, all of whom helmed episodes in the revolving "wheel" format. At the same time she had a recurring role as Chuck (Charlene Brown), Alexander Mundy's fellow thief and "friend with benefits" in four episodes of the series It Takes a Thief. She also appeared in the pilot episode of Alias Smith and Jones
(1971). From 1971 until 1976, she played Sally McMillan opposite Rock Hudson
in the series McMillan & Wife and received four Emmy Award nominations.
She left the show to further her career as an actress in feature film
s such as co-starring with Peter Fonda
in the film Outlaw Blues
. She achieved a significant success in the vampire comedy
Love at First Bite
(1979). Between films, she made a guest appearance in the March 3, 1980 episode of M*A*S*H (Episode 192: War Co-Respondent). After other film ventures failed to establish her, she returned to television, appearing in the comedy series Kate & Allie
opposite Jane Curtin
from 1984 until 1989. She received a further three Emmy Award nominations for this role.
Saint James was also a celebrity and commentator for World Wrestling Federation
(WWF)'s WrestleMania 2
event in 1986 along with Vince McMahon
.
In her mid-40s, Saint James proclaimed herself retired after Kate & Allie ended. In addition to motherhood (her youngest son was born during the fourth season of Kate & Allie), she's been an active volunteer with the Special Olympics
(an organization she began actively supporting in 1972); she has in the past also served on their board and served as Civitan International's celebrity chairperson for their Special Olympics involvement. In 1998, Saint James, her sister Mercedes Dewey and friend Barrie Johnson founded "Seedling and Pip", a baby gift basket business. She is also a board member of the Telluride Foundation
Saint James has occasionally emerged from retirement to appear in television series guest roles, such as the mother of (her real-life lookalike niece) Christa Miller
in the first season of The Drew Carey Show
, and ten years later, as a defense attorney on the February 28, 2006 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. She also starred in a Warner Theatre (Torrington, Connecticut)
1999 production of The Miracle Worker
. On June 11, 2008, Saint James was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
in 1981, Saint James met her future third husband, then-SNL executive producer Dick Ebersol
. They married within the year. The marriage produced three sons, Charles, William, and Edward (Teddy). In March 2002, Saint James filed for divorce
from Ebersol, but the couple reconciled later that summer. Ebersol was chairman of NBC Sports
until May 2011.
On November 28, 2004, a private plane carrying Ebersol and two of their sons crashed in Colorado
; Ebersol and son Charles survived, but son Teddy, age 14 at the time, died, as did the pilot and flight attendant (Warren W. Richardson III). Teddy Ebersol's Red Sox Fields at Lederman Park
is named in memory of Saint James' son, and an episode of the television series Scrubs was dedicated to him.
Saint James holds honorary degrees from five Connecticut institutions — The University of Connecticut
, the University of Bridgeport
, Southern Connecticut State University
, Albertus Magnus College
, and the University of New Haven
. She was a featured speaker at The Women's Conference
in 2007, at a session called "Beyond Courage: Overcoming the Unimaginable."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Early life
Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
family, Saint James was raised in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
where she began modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
as a teenager. During this time, she attended the Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a private, Roman Catholic girls' high school in Lake Forest, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.-Sports:...
in Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in...
. She later attended the Connecticut College for Women
Connecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
. Saint James became a household name at the age of 22, starring as an editorial assistant, Peggy Maxwell, on The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game (TV series)
The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes. It was a pioneering wheel series, setting the stage for the likes of The Bold Ones and the NBC Mystery Movie in the 1970s...
. Then came starring roles as Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
's younger supportive wife, Sally McMillan, in a popular 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
crime drama, McMillan & Wife, and as Jane Curtin
Jane Curtin
Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
's childhood friend, Kate McArdle, in a 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
sitcom, Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989. Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike easily convinced CBS...
.
Career
At 20, she moved to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where she began her acting career. Her first screen role was in the TV-movie Fame Is the Name of the Game
Fame Is the Name of the Game
Fame Is the Name of the Game is an American TV-movie, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, that aired on NBC and served as the pilot episode of the subsequent series The Name of the Game. The film stars Tony Franciosa as an investigative journalist and presents the screen debut of 20-year-old Susan...
(1966) with Tony Franciosa, launching her career when the film became a series two years later. Among her other early television appearances were two episodes of the first season of Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
("Girl in the Night", December 1967 and two months later, playing a different role in the episode "Something for Nothing"). She also had a supporting role in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows
Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows
Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows is a movie comedy starring Rosalind Russell and Stella Stevens. The film is a sequel to The Trouble with Angels and was written by Blanche Hanalis from a story by Jane Trahey, and directed by James Neilson....
(1968), the sequel to The Trouble with Angels
The Trouble with Angels
The Trouble with Angels is a comedy film about the adventures of two girls in an all girls school run by nuns. The movie was directed by Ida Lupino and stars Rosalind Russell and Hayley Mills...
.
From 1968 to 1971, as a result of her very first role, in Fame Is the Name of the Game, she had a regular part in the series The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game (TV series)
The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes. It was a pioneering wheel series, setting the stage for the likes of The Bold Ones and the NBC Mystery Movie in the 1970s...
, winning an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for her role in 1969 and establishing her as a popular young actress. She provided series continuity by appearing in most episodes regardless of whether the lead that week was Franciosa, Gene Barry
Gene Barry
Gene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City and The War of The Worlds and for his portrayal of the title character in the TV series Bat Masterson, among many roles.-Personal life:Barry was born...
, Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
, Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
, Robert Culp
Robert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
, Darren McGavin
Darren McGavin
Darren McGavin was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker and his portrayal in the film A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given to bursts of profanity that he never realizes his son overhears...
, or Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
, all of whom helmed episodes in the revolving "wheel" format. At the same time she had a recurring role as Chuck (Charlene Brown), Alexander Mundy's fellow thief and "friend with benefits" in four episodes of the series It Takes a Thief. She also appeared in the pilot episode of Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
(1971). From 1971 until 1976, she played Sally McMillan opposite Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
in the series McMillan & Wife and received four Emmy Award nominations.
She left the show to further her career as an actress in feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s such as co-starring with Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
in the film Outlaw Blues
Outlaw Blues
Outlaw Blues is a 1977 film that stars Susan Saint James and Peter Fonda. It was directed by Richard T. Heffron and is rated PG in the USA. Many of the songs were sung by Fonda and three of songs from the film were written by Hoyt Axton.-Plot summary:...
. She achieved a significant success in the vampire comedy
Vampire films
Vampire films have been a staple since the silent days, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker's Dracula, with over 170...
Love at First Bite
Love At First Bite
Love at First Bite is a 1979 comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin and Arte Johnson. The original music score was composed by Charles Bernstein...
(1979). Between films, she made a guest appearance in the March 3, 1980 episode of M*A*S*H (Episode 192: War Co-Respondent). After other film ventures failed to establish her, she returned to television, appearing in the comedy series Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989. Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike easily convinced CBS...
opposite Jane Curtin
Jane Curtin
Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
from 1984 until 1989. She received a further three Emmy Award nominations for this role.
Saint James was also a celebrity and commentator for World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF)'s WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
event in 1986 along with Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
.
In her mid-40s, Saint James proclaimed herself retired after Kate & Allie ended. In addition to motherhood (her youngest son was born during the fourth season of Kate & Allie), she's been an active volunteer with the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
(an organization she began actively supporting in 1972); she has in the past also served on their board and served as Civitan International's celebrity chairperson for their Special Olympics involvement. In 1998, Saint James, her sister Mercedes Dewey and friend Barrie Johnson founded "Seedling and Pip", a baby gift basket business. She is also a board member of the Telluride Foundation
Saint James has occasionally emerged from retirement to appear in television series guest roles, such as the mother of (her real-life lookalike niece) Christa Miller
Christa Miller
Christa Miller is an American actress who has achieved success in television comedy. Her foremost roles include Kate O'Brien on The Drew Carey Show and Jordan Sullivan on Scrubs . She has also appeared on Seinfeld and CSI: Miami...
in the first season of The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
, and ten years later, as a defense attorney on the February 28, 2006 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. She also starred in a Warner Theatre (Torrington, Connecticut)
Warner Theatre (Torrington, Connecticut)
The Warner Theatre is an Art-Deco style movie palace located at 68-82 Main Street in Torrington, Connecticut. It opened on August 19, 1931 as part of the Warner Bros. chain of movie theaters. Today it operates as a mixed-use performing arts center...
1999 production of The Miracle Worker
The Miracle Worker
The Miracle Worker is a cycle of 20th century dramatic works derived from Helen Keller's autobiography The Story of My Life. Each of the various dramas describes the relationship between Keller—a deafblind and initially almost feral child—and Anne Sullivan, the teacher who introduced her to...
. On June 11, 2008, Saint James was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal life
When she was 21, she married aspiring writer-director Richard Neubert, the marriage lasted a year. Saint James married a second time in 1971, to Thomas Lucas a makeup artist. They had a daughter, Sunshine Lucas (born 1972), and a son, Harmony Lucas (born 1974). The marriage lasted six years. While guest-hosting Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in 1981, Saint James met her future third husband, then-SNL executive producer Dick Ebersol
Dick Ebersol
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....
. They married within the year. The marriage produced three sons, Charles, William, and Edward (Teddy). In March 2002, Saint James filed for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
from Ebersol, but the couple reconciled later that summer. Ebersol was chairman of NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
until May 2011.
On November 28, 2004, a private plane carrying Ebersol and two of their sons crashed in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
; Ebersol and son Charles survived, but son Teddy, age 14 at the time, died, as did the pilot and flight attendant (Warren W. Richardson III). Teddy Ebersol's Red Sox Fields at Lederman Park
Teddy Ebersol field
Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields at Lederman Park is a series of fields along the Charles River in the city of Boston. The Boston Red Sox foundation and the Esplanade Association in conjunction with the Hill House, a NPO, helped fund the 1.8 million-dollar renewal project...
is named in memory of Saint James' son, and an episode of the television series Scrubs was dedicated to him.
Saint James holds honorary degrees from five Connecticut institutions — The University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, the University of Bridgeport
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport is a private, independent, non-sectarian, coeducational university located on the Long Island Sound in the South End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The University is fully Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges...
, Southern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University is one of four state universities in Connecticut, and is located in the West Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut...
, Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College is a small private liberal arts college in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It is located about two miles from the central campus of Yale University in a residential area near the border with Hamden. The neighborhood is on Prospect Street just above Edgerton park and...
, and the University of New Haven
University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private university that combines a liberal arts education with professional training. The university comprises five colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, the Henry C...
. She was a featured speaker at The Women's Conference
The Women's Conference
The Women's Conference is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and annual forum for women. The event first began in 1986 as a California government initiative for working professionals and women business owners...
in 2007, at a session called "Beyond Courage: Overcoming the Unimaginable."
External links
- Susan Saint James: A Free Spirit Navigates Hollywood, a Lifetime "Intimate Portrait"