Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the hit comedy series M*A*S*H, died today at her home in New York City. She was 87.
Her death was announced by her representative Harlan Boll, who said a New York City police report indicates Swit died just after noon today of suspected natural causes.
Swit was a mainstay on the classic and beloved comedy series for its entire 11-year run, nominated for Emmy Awards every year from 1974-83, winning in 1980 and 1982.
Born Loretta Jane Szwed on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, studied drama in New York City with Gene Frankel, the noted theater director and acting teacher. Swit appeared in Off Broadway productions throughout the 1960s, and in 1967 toured with the national company of the comedy Any Wednesday.
Swit made her TV debut in 1969 on Hawaii Five-O, with subsequent credits including Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The Bold Ones, among many others. But it was her signature role of Margaret Houlihan in the series that also starred Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers and Larry Linville, that brought her national and lasting fame.
“[Houlihan] was unique at that time and in her time, which was the 1950s when it was really happening,” she said in a 2005 interview with the Television Academy Foundation. “She became even more unique I think because we allowed her to continue to grow — we watched her evolve. I don’t think that’s ever been done in quite that way, on what was labeled a ‘sitcom’ because other was no other word for it. I never think of it as a sitcom. If there was a category it was, but we had to be put somewhere so we were called a comedy.”
Based on Robert Altman’s 1970 feature film — with Sally Kellerman as Hot Lips — M*A*S*H was not an immediate hit, failing to make the top 25 among primetime programs that season. But its fortunes soon changed, and M*A*S*H would go on to be a top 10 program for each of its final 10 seasons.
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“Loretta Swit’s portrayal of Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan was groundbreaking – bringing heart, humor, and strength to one of television comedy’s most enduring roles,” said National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. “Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion. That legacy endures through the cultural impact of M*A*S*H, which is proudly represented in the National Comedy Center.”
Swit appeared in all 251 episodes of M*A*S*H including the 2½-hour series finale. Airing in February 1983, it remains the most-watched episode of series television in history, with more than 105 million viewers and a still-stunning 60.2 rating/77 share.
Her film credits include Stand Up and Be Counted with Jacqueline Bisset, Freebie and the Bean with James Caan and Alan Arkin, Race With the Devil with Peter Fonda, Beer opposite Rip Torn, S.O.B. with Julie Andrews and William Holden, Whoops Apocalypse with Peter Cook and Herbert Lom, Forrest Warrior with Chuck Norris, and BoardHeads with Bronson Pinchot.
She also appeared in such TV films as Games Mother Never Taught You with Sam Waterston, Hell Hath No Fury with Barbara Eden, The Execution with Rip Torn, Dreams of Gold with Cliff Robertson, and A Killer Among Friends with Patty Duke. She also appeared on most the era’s TV specials and variety shows, most notably The Muppet Show with Kermit and Miss Piggy.
On Broadway, she appeared in Same Time, Next Year in 1975 and The Mystery of Edwin Drood in the 85. She also had a prolific career in regional theater.
In addition to her Emmys, Swit earned four Golden Globe nominations.
A fierce advocate for animals, Swit founded the SwitHeart Animal Alliance to prevent cruelty and end animal suffering, to promote and cooperate with numerous nonprofit organizations and programs that protect, rescue, train, and care for animals and preserve their habitat, while raising public awareness about such issues.
Information on survivors was not immediately available. A marriage to actor Dennis Holahan ended in divorce in 1995.
