Loretta Swit, a star of TV's "M*A*S*H," dies at 87

CBS News

4 days ago

Loretta Swit, who played Maj. Margaret Houlihan on the TV series "M*A*S*H," has died, a representative for her confirmed to CBS News. She was 87.
Swit died at her home in New York City, her rep, B. Harlan Boll, said in a statement to CBS News on Friday. She was believed to have died of natural causes.
Swit starred on stage and screen, but she was perhaps best known for her long-running role as the head nurse who was a foil to Alan Alda's Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce on "M*A*S*H," which aired for 11 seasons on CBS, from 1972 to 1983.
Loretta Swit is pictured as Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan.
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The show was adapted from Robert Altman's Oscar-winning 1970 film, a landmark celebrated for its freewheeling humor, its satirical approach to war movies, the excess of blood in the operating room and the nudity of its nurses. The TV series, produced by Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, was toned down for television but maintained the movie's anti-establishment ethos.
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital that was the show's setting allowed for doctors burdened by the grueling work to let off steam by playing pranks, telling jokes while performing "meatball surgery," and tussling with patients and Army ranks over such issues as racism, sexism, infidelity and the effects of PTSD among service members.
The large ensemble included Wayne Rogers as Capt. "Trapper" John McIntyre, McLean Stevenson as Lt. Col. Henry Blake, Larry Linville as Maj. Frank Burns, and William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy. One actor from Altman's film, Gary Burghoff, reprised his role as "Radar" O'Reilly, the super-efficient corporal who was the glue that held the hospital together. A new character, Cpl. Max Klinger, played by Jamie Farr, was continually trying to get a Section 8 discharge from the Army for cross-dressing.
Later seasons would feature Mike Farrell as Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt, Harry Morgan as Col. Sherman Potter and David Ogden Stiers as Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester.
Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit and Alan Alda in the television series "M*A*S*H," circa 1975.
SilverSwit won two Emmys for her performances on "M*A*S*H" and was nominated eight other times for her work on the show. She was also nominated for four Golden Globes.
As the show developed and incorporated more dramatic plot lines with the comedic ones, Swit wanted to portray Houlihan as more than the "Hot Lips" nickname her character was given while having an affair with Linville's Burns.
"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 the author of "The Complete Book of 'M.A.S.H,'" Suzy Kalter.
"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."
Following the news of her death, Swit was hailed for her work.
"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," Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, said in a statement. "Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion."
In 2003, Swit told Yahoo Entertainment that she would have picked a different ending for her character when the series concluded with Houlihan deciding to return to the U.S. instead of a post in another country.
"I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn't agree with that, but that's what they wanted her to do," Swit said.
She told the outlet she still received letters from women all over the world who decided to become nurses because of Houlihan.
"To have contributed to someone's life like that is remarkable," Swit said.
contributed to this report.