The actress and animal lover, best known for her role as Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the CBS sitcom, died of natural causes at home.
Loretta Swit, the actress who will always be remembered by M*A*S*H fans as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, has died. She was 87.
Harlan Boll, the actress’ publicist, confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Swit died shortly after noon on Friday at her New York City residence. According to Boll, police believe the death was caused by natural causes and are awaiting a coroner’s report.
The TV and stage personality rose to prominence as the voluptuous chief nurse in the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit on the long-running CBS comedy, where she won two Emmys out of ten nominations.
Her beauty was often inserted into the scripts, and her sexuality was catnip for members of the M*A*S*H camp, particularly Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville), with whom she had a lengthy and humorous affair. When the connection became too absurd, Swit was free to advise the writers that enough was enough.
“There was this excitement, this creativity that you don’t find in every job,” Swit was once quoted as saying. “They were writing her smarter, and they were writing him silly. I added, “I see her breaking up with Frank because it’s demeaning.” He’s married, it’s not going anywhere, and she has no regard for his profession, his abilities as a doctor.”
The actress was particularly pleased of Houlihan’s development as a strong feminist throughout the course of the show’s 11-year run. “She’s active, ambitious, and kind. Swit previously stated that she aspired to be the “best damn nurse in Korea.” “She was a real first.”
Loretta Jane Szwed, born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts to hone her acting and singing skills. Early theater jobs included playing one of the Pigeon sisters opposite Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine in a Los Angeles production of The Odd Couple.
Her early television credits included stints on Ironside, Love, American Style, and Hawaii Five-0. She even played Det. Christine Cagney in the television film Cagney & Lacey before Sharon Gless took over the character in the spinoff series. She has appeared in several films, including 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 made her Broadway debut in Same Time, Next Year, starring Ted Bessell, played Mame in New York and Pennsylvania productions, and appeared in over 1,200 Shirley Valentine performances.
Swit released the book Switheart in early 2017, which is a compilation of her animal paintings. The proceeds go to the actress’s longterm passion project of preventing animal abuse.
She divorced actor Dennis Holahan after 12 years of marriage in 1995. They had no children.
Swit follows a lengthy list of recent M*A*S*H alum deaths, including Patrick Adiarte, who played Korean orphan Ho-Jon, who died at 82 in April; Judy Farrell, who played Nurse Able, who died at 84 in 2023; and co-creator Gene Reynolds, who died at 96 in 2020. Sally Kellerman, who played Hot Lips Houlihan in Robert Altman’s Oscar-winning film, died at 84 in 2022.
M*A*S*H co-star Jamie Farr (Corporal Klinger) paid tribute to Swit upon her death.
“I dearly loved Loretta! She was my adopted sister. “As close as family can get,” Farr explained. “We embraced each other from the first time I met her, on what was supposed to be a one-day appearance on M.A.S.H., and that friendship lasted a lifetime.” I cannot begin to convey how much she will be missed.”
