Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress celebrated for her portrayal of Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the iconic television series MASH*, has died at the age of 87.
Her publicist, Harlan Boll, confirmed she passed away Friday at her home in New York City, likely due to natural causes.
Swit, along with Alan Alda, was among the longest-serving cast members of MASH*, the groundbreaking CBS series based on Robert Altman’s 1970 film, which itself drew from the novel by Richard Hooker (pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger).
The show aired from 1972 to 1983, chronicling the experiences of a team at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. Its two-and-a-half-hour finale on February 28, 1983, was watched by more than 100 million viewers—still the most-viewed scripted television episode of all time.
Swit won two Emmy Awards for her performance as Houlihan, a complex character who began as a strict, no-nonsense head nurse and evolved into a richly developed figure. That growth reflected both Swit’s personal influence and the rising feminist consciousness of the 1970s.
“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,” Swit told Suzy Kalter, author of The Complete Book of MASH*.
“To oversimplify it, I took each traumatic change that happened in her life and kept it. I didn’t go into the next episode as if it were a different character in a different play. She was a character in constant flux; she never stopped developing.”
In the original 1970 film, Houlihan—played by Sally Kellerman—was a rigid caricature, often mocked by her male colleagues. Swit’s version gradually moved away from that stereotype, transforming Houlihan into a more grounded and respected character.
“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,” Alan Alda told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.
MASH* started off slow, finishing its first season in 46th place out of 75 shows. But after a timeslot shift to Saturday nights alongside All in the Family, ratings soared. The show went on to win Best Comedy at the 1974 Emmys, with Alda taking Best Actor.
The series saw cast changes over time. The first season featured Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, and Gary Burghoff. Later additions included Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell, and David Ogden Stiers. Jamie Farr and William Christopher also took on larger roles.
“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 Journey Gunderson, Executive Director of the National Comedy Center.
“Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion.”
Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of MASH*, staying with the show nearly four times longer than the Korean War itself. Her character’s arc addressed issues like PTSD, sexism, and racism—many of which Swit helped shape behind the scenes.
She also wrote the speech that Houlihan delivers to her fellow nurses in the final episode: “It’s been an honor and privilege to have worked with you. And I’m very, very proud to have known you.”
“I was consumed with writing that,” Swit told Yahoo Entertainment. “And I still get letters from women all over the world who became nurses because of Margaret Houlihan. To have contributed to someone’s life like that is remarkable.”
In the finale, Houlihan considers new assignments in Tokyo or Belgium before deciding to return to America to work at a hospital. Swit disagreed with that ending.
“I didn’t think that was correct for my Margaret,” she said. “I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn’t agree with that, but that’s what they wanted her to do.”
She also helped shape storylines. When her character returned from Tokyo engaged to another officer, it led to a memorable reaction from Frank Burns.
“I told them: ‘Can you imagine what fun you’re going to have with Larry when I come back to town and I tell him I’m engaged? He’ll rip the doors off of the mess tent!’ And that’s exactly what they had him do. So we were all of the same mind.”
Toward the end of the series, Swit was tempted to leave. She played Chris Cagney in the 1981 Cagney & Lacey TV movie and was offered the role for the series.
However, producers wanted her to remain with MASH* through its final two seasons. Swit later said she might have stayed anyway.
“You can’t help but get better as an actor working with scripts like that,” she told The Florida Times-Union in 2010. “If you’re in something that literate, well, we got spoiled.”
Swit also maintained a strong connection to the stage. She starred on Broadway in Same Time, Next Year (1975) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1986), and appeared in Amorous Crossing (2010) and Mame (2003).
(ABC News)
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