Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James celebrated her 80th birthday with a party in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The star, who turned 80 on August 14, enjoyed a sunny stroll before having a gathering with family and friends.
Saint James cut a casual figure in a laid-back ensemble, rocking a sleeveless top with the logo "Spiritual Gangster" that put her arms on display, alongside a mini skirt and white sneakers.
She wore a red bandana and shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses, carrying what looked to be a cup of coffee in her hand.
During the outing, the Los Angeles native showed off a unique tattoo on her ankle.
A stunning floral arrangement was also pictured being delivered for the birthday festivities. The Daily Mail reached out to Saint James for comment.
Breakthrough at Universal
Born in Los Angeles in August 1946, Saint James began modeling as a teenager. She spent a little over a year working as a model in France before relocating back to Los Angeles.
She took acting classes and eventually signed with Universal Pictures at the age of 19 through the help of an agent who was close to one of her friends.
"An agent who was friends with my friend got me into Universal and they signed me into a contract at 19," she recalled during a past interview with Yahoo Beauty.
"They sent me over to read for a part, I met with the director, and he said, 'Can you read this?' I read it really fast, I was so nervous. He said, 'Perfect, just a little bit faster and you've got the part.'"
The role was Peggy Chan in the 1966 television film Fame Is The Name Of The Game. She later starred in the show based on the made-for-TV film called Name Of The Game from 1968 until 1971.
Starring alongside Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry and Robert Stack, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series based on her performance.
Starring alongside Rock Hudson
The actress also appeared in episodes of the ABC show It Takes A Thief starring Robert Wagner.
Beginning in 1971, Saint James was cast as Sally in the NBC series McMillan & Wife with her leading co-star Rock Hudson.
Hudson had also been a prominent figure in the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring in movies such as Giant in 1956, Pillow Talk in 1959 and Send Me No Flowers in 1964.
Saint James received both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her role in the police procedural series, which she starred in through 1976.
The creator of the show, Leonard B. Stern, previously opened up to the Television Academy Foundation about casting Saint James and called her "a delight."
Stern added: "Our casting person in New York knew of them and knew talent. He was a divining rod when it came to gifted young people. And Rock felt comfortable with Susan."
Later career and family life
After her exit from McMillan & Wife in 1976, she went on to star in other projects such as the 1977 movie Outlaw Blues with Peter Fonda.
She also made a guest appearance on the smash hit TV show M*A*S*H.
Two years later, she appeared in the comedic horror movie Love At First Bite with George Hamilton and Richard Benjamin, and was pictured in a still from the 1979 film with James Hamilton.
Her career continued into the 80s where she was cast in another hit series titled Kate & Allie beginning in 1984 alongside Jane Curtin.
The CBS sitcom followed two divorced mothers who began living together and raised their kids in the same home. Saint James played Kate McArdle and raked in two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
The mom of five mostly stepped away from acting afterwards, occasionally making appearances in projects such as The Drew Carey Show in 1996.
She has made brief returns to television by taking on guest roles in shows such as Law & Order: SVU and Suits. Her last acting credit was the series Upload where she appeared in three episodes between 2020 and 2022.
The actress also previously opened up to Yahoo Beauty about her positive approach to aging.
"I think part of it is that you have to do a few little things. I like to read up and keep hip to things," she said.
"It's yoga. It's sleep. You know, you start to age and it's hard to look in the mirror or see a picture. I fight the good fight," she added, before also giving a shout out to her husband Dick Ebersol.
Saint James has been married to the television executive since 1981. The couple shares three children: Charlie, Willie, and Teddy.
She has two older children, Sunshine and Harmony, from her previous marriage to Thomas Lucas, whom she divorced in 1977.
Her youngest son, Teddy, was killed in November 2004 at 14 years old when a charter jet carrying him, his father, and his brother Charlie crashed during takeoff in Colorado.
