Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress celebrated for her nuanced portrayal of Major Margaret Houlihan—nicknamed “Hot Lips”—on the iconic television series MASH*, died Friday at her home in Manhattan. She was 87. The news was confirmed by her publicist, Harlan Boll.
Swit took over the role from Sally Kellerman, who played Houlihan in Robert Altman’s 1970 Oscar-winning film MASH*. Over the series’ 11-season run on CBS from 1972 to 1983, Swit brought new depth and humanity to the character. Her performance earned her ten consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, with wins in 1980 and 1982.
Set during the Korean War at a mobile Army surgical hospital, MASH* chronicled the lives of its staff. Major Houlihan’s character evolved from a strict, militaristic officer and secret lover of Major Frank Burns to a respected nurse and leader. Following a brief, failed marriage, she dedicated herself fully to her career, earning the admiration of colleagues like Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce and Harry Morgan’s Colonel Potter.
Swit described the role as the pinnacle of her career. In a 2001 interview with The Guardian, she said Houlihan’s drive to be “the best damned nurse in Korea” fueled her character’s arc. Her co-star Alan Alda once noted the character’s transformation, celebrating the moment the script replaced “Hot Lips” with “Margaret,” marking greater respect for the role.
Born Loretta Jane Szwed on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, Swit began her career as a secretary before pursuing acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her early work included Off-Broadway plays and television appearances on shows like Mission: Impossible and Gunsmoke.
Beyond MASH*, Swit appeared in films such as S.O.B. (1981) and Freebie and the Bean (1974), and guest-starred on series including The Muppet Show. She was originally cast in the pilot of Cagney & Lacey but could not continue due to scheduling conflicts.
Her stage career also flourished, with notable Broadway roles in Same Time, Next Year (1975) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985). She earned the Sarah Siddons Award for her performance in Shirley Valentine.
Swit married actor and lawyer Dennis Holahan in 1983; they divorced in 1995. Though she planned to retire after the 1998 comedy Beach Movie, she returned to film in 2019 with Play the Flute.
She is survived by no immediate family. In a 2020 interview, Swit reflected on aging with a focus on living fully, saying, “I don’t think about the passage of time, just what I’m doing with it.”
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