In 1974, she won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special" for her performance in the miniseries adaptation of "QB VII". During the 1974–75 television season, she also had a recurring role as Dr. Claire Hanley on NBC's "Born Free". In 1980, Mills returned to the stage, starring in "The Elephant Man", with Maxwell Caulfield. The two actors hit it off, and the younger Caulfield became her third husband, leading Mills to withdraw from acting for a time. In 1999, she was cast on the daytime drama "Passions" as Tabitha Lenox, a witch who was burned at the stake in the 17th century. Initially, the character wished harm on other people, but in a June 2007 episode, the character was declared a "good witch." Mills was nominated for her first Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress" for the role.