M*A*S*H actor Loretta Swit has died, aged 87
The two-time Emmy-Award-winning actor died at her New York City home on Friday likely from natural causes, her publicist said.
Swit played Major Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series.
Alan Alda and Swit were the longest-serving cast members on the CBS show, which was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film.
Born in New Jersey, the daughter of Polish immigrants, Swit enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, then paid her dues for years in touring productions.
In 1969, she arrived in Hollywood and was soon seen in series such as Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible, and Bonanza.
Then in 1972, she got her big break when she was asked to audition for the role of "Hot Lips".
The series aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name.
The two-and-a-half-hour finale in 1983 lured more than 100 million viewers, the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever.
The growing awareness of feminism in the 1970s spurred Houlihan's transformation from caricature to a real person, but a lot of the change was due to Swit's influence on the scriptwriters.
"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 once said.
National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson said Swit's talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility and passion.
"Loretta Swit's portrayal of Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan was groundbreaking — bringing heart, humour, and strength to one of television comedy's most enduring roles.
Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of the series, nearly four times longer than the Korean War itself, exploring issues like PTSD, sexism and racism.
"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," Alda told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.
"She became more of a real person."
AP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Sharon Stone confirms she went on a date with a 2000s rapper
It's getting hot in here. Sharon Stone, 67, has revealed that she once went on a date with Nelly, 50, despite the pair's more than 15-year age gap. The Basic Instinct actress confessed to the surprising dalliance while promoting her new movie, Nobody 2, with co-star Bob Odenkirk during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Sunday. 'I mean, this is crazy enough that I actually might believe it,' Cohen, 57, said. 'Sharon, did you go on a date with Nelly?' 'Yes, I did,' Stone admitted with a burst of laughter. However, the actress and rapper apparently did not hit it off, because Stone also admitted that the pair never went out again. 'No, I did not,' she said when Cohen asked about a follow-up date. Although Stone did not share any additional details about her and Nelly's romantic rendezvous, her fans rushed to social media to express their surprise about the stunning revelation. 'Ahh! I keep watching her in these clips. I love her transparency,' one person wrote on Instagram. 'Icon,' commented another alongside a flame emoji. 'Follow-up Q: anybody else you dated that would surprise us?' inquired a third. Despite not hitting it off with the artist, Stone has still had her fair share of relationships over the years. She was married to film producer Michael Greenburg, 74, from 1984 to 1987, and later went on to marry journalist Phil Bronstein, also 74, from 1998 to 2004. Before Stone and Bronstein's split, the pair adopted a son, Roan, 25, in 2000. The star then adopted her second son, Laird, 20, in 2005, followed by her third son, Quinn, 19, one year later. Stone made a rare red carpet appearance with all three of her sons at the Los Angeles premiere of Nobody 2. Besides her marriages to Greenburg and Bronstein, the star was romantically linked to comedian Garry Shandling, filmmaker William Macdonald and assistant director Bob Wagner. After suffering a stroke in September 2001, Stone decided to put her acting career on hold to focus on her family and loved ones. Now, as an empty nester, the Sliver actress has decided to return to her life on the big screen. 'When I reconsidered what value things had to me in life, I really wanted to have children and spend my time with them,' Stone told Today during an interview published Monday. 'And I only really worked as much as I needed to support my family,' she added. 'But now my children have left the nest, and now I'm back to work.' As for Nelly, he married his longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend, Ashanti, in December 2023. The couple later welcomed a baby son, Kareem, on July 18, 2024.
7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Ariela La Longosta: New York-based influencer found dead in car from ‘gunshot wounds'
New York-based influencer Ariela La Longosta has been found dead inside her car with US police confirming she was discovered with gunshot wounds. The 33-year-old social media sensation's death was confirmed by Westchester County Police Department in New York, who said the model was found dead on the Cross County Parkway at the weekend. Following a preliminary investigation, police determined that Longosta died of gunshot wounds and was 'likely targeted for violence,' according to a statement shared on Facebook. 'The woman found deceased in her car on the Cross County Parkway on Sunday died as a result of gunshot wounds, the Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed today,' police said in a statement. 'Her death was not a random act. 'The homicide remains under investigation by detectives from the General Investigations Unit. Assistance has been provided by other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies during the continuing investigation.' Longosta has more than 566,000 followers on Instagram, where she regularly posted fashion and modelling content. Loading Instagram Post Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine rushed to social media Sunday night to pay his respects to his longtime friend, who starred in one of his 2023 music videos. 'You supported me in everything,' he said. 'My sister. NY won't ever be the same. I loved you.' The restaurant where Longosta worked, Ikon New York, also paid tribute to its employee. 'Today we lost our shining star,' the team said. 'Our hearts are broken. Your joy, your humility, and the way you treated everyone with so much care always made you stand out. Thank you for giving so much love and support to our home, which also became yours. 'We still can't believe it… you were our smile, our happiness. We love you and we will miss you forever.' The restaurant announced it will temporarily shut its doors out of respect for Longosta.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
NFL star's wife reveals strict phone rules for four daughters
The wife of a former NFL star has divided social media after she shared how she planned to tackle the topic of mobile phones when her four daughters reach their teen years. Kylie Kelce, who is married to former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce, has revealed what she and her husband plan to do in order to keep their girls, Wyatt, 5, Eliotte, 4, Bennett, 2, and Finnley, who was born on March 30, 2025, safe. The 33-year-old was discussing the divisive issue with American morning television star, Kelly Ripa, on her podcast, Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce, after her guest said she had spoken to a young woman who'd broken up with her boyfriend on Snapchat using AI. Ripa, who hosts the Live! with Kelly and Mark show, revealed her nieces solely use Snapchat to communicate with their friends, and asked Mrs Kelce what she planned to do. 'I actually believe that we will be doing, what I am calling, 'the kitchen phone',' she said. 'In other words, there will be one or two extra cell phones besides mum and dad's cell phone, that they can take with them if they have somewhere they're going where there will not be a parent or if they will need to get hold of us or if they're at something sports related.' The podcast host explained the phones would only be kept to the first floor of the house, meaning the couple's four daughters can't be using the phone in their bedroom. She said the girl's friends can still have the phone number and contact them directly but the phones live in the kitchen. But, unsurprisingly, people had a lot to say about the mum's approach to parenting — some said she was being strict, while others praised the idea. 'My parents did this and we constantly snuck the phones upstairs after they went to bed. Super strict parents create super sneaky kids,' one said. Another added: 'And they will have burner phones.' 'I was like this when my kids were younger but as they got older I realised how important it is that they have their phones. I can contact them easily as they can with me and I track their location,' another social media user commented. One said: 'She's got four kids. I doubt this will last.' 'This is quite literally landlines (with the added bonus of being able to leave the house with it). Y'all need to understand I didn't have more than a flip phone until junior year of high school and junior year DESTROYED me. It was the constant access to the internet. This is the right move,' one person argued in Mrs Kelce's defence. One said: 'I agree with her. they will get some much exposure in regular life it won't affect them down the road with being behind.' 'Obvious move. My siblings kids are both treated the opposite way in regards to cell phones and the level of maturity, conversation and attention span on the kids without phone access is leaps and bounds ahead of the kids without full access,' one said. Another added: 'Big yikes. Their kids are already living a much different and more privileged life than almost all other kids. This just further isolates them from other kids making it harder to form relationships and knowing what is in right now.' 'Parents who disagree with this need to reconsider. The internet is a TERRIFYING place for unsupervised children. I will be doing the complete opposite of how my parents raised me, which was phone way too young and no restrictions,' one said. One social media user said: 'I think this is really easy to say when your kids are little. Wait until you have teenagers in the house. Things get real then.' 'We all grew up with a landline so I don't understand why people have a problem with this lol,' one added.
