Susan Saint James left regular acting work after “Kate & Allie” ended in 1989, despite the sitcom’s success. She earned two Primetime Emmy nominations for playing Kate McArdle in the series, which ran for 122 episodes from 1984 to 1989. Afterward, she decided to focus on herself and her family.
The show was filmed in New York City, while Saint James and her family lived in Litchfield, Connecticut, having moved there from California. At the time, she was raising four children while working, and the strain eventually affected her health, including causing kidney stones.
Saint James largely stepped back from acting but returned for occasional television roles. Her later appearances included “The Drew Carey Show,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Suits” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” She also appeared in three episodes of the Prime Video series “Upload.”
Before “Kate & Allie,” Saint James had established herself on television. She made her debut in the 1966 TV movie “Fame Is the Name of the Game,” then reprised her role in the series “The Name of the Game,” where her character was called Peggy Maxwell. She won an Emmy in 1969 for the supporting role.
Her work as Sally McMillan in “McMillan & Wife” also helped make her widely known. Saint James left the NBC series during a contract dispute, and her character was written out in a plane crash. Afterward, she worked mainly in films and television movies before returning to series television with “Kate & Allie.”
Sources: TVLine.