Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the iconic CBS series “M.A.S.H.,” has died at age 87.
According to her publicist, Harlan Boll, Swit passed away on Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes.
Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on “M.A.S.H.,” which aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983. It was based on Robert Altman’s 1970 film, itself adapted from a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger.
The series’ two-and-a-half-hour finale on Feb. 28, 1983, drew more than 100 million viewers—the largest audience ever for a scripted television episode.
Rolling Stone ranked “M.A.S.H.” No. 25 among the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out placed it at No. 34. The series won the Impact Award at the 2009 TV Land awards and a Peabody Award in 1975 its humor and “the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war.”
Swit transformed Houlihan from a one-dimensional character in the film—played by Sally Kellerman—into a complex, evolving woman.
“Around the second or third year I decided to try to play her as a real person, in an intelligent fashion, even if it meant hurting the jokes,” as Swit told Suzy Kalter, “The Complete Book of ‘M.A.S.H.’” author. “She was a character in constant flux; she never stopped developing.”
Swit appeared in nearly every episode and pushed for a more realistic portrayal of women. “One of the things I liked, with Loretta’s prodding, was every time I had a chance to write for her character, we’d get away from the Hot Lips angle and find out more about who Margaret was. She became more of a real person,” Alda told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2018 interview.
The series finale saw Houlihan return to America to work at a hospital. Swit did not agree with this decision for her character, telling Yahoo Entertainment in 2023: “I didn’t think that was correct for my Margaret. I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn’t agree with that, but that’s what they wanted her to do.”
After “M.A.S.H.,” Swit became an animal welfare activist, selling perfumes and her memoir to benefit animal nonprofits.
The actress was born in Passaic, New Jersey, to Polish immigrants, studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and had notable roles on “Gunsmoke,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Mission Impossible,” and “Bonanza.”
“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,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.
