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CBS News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Loretta Swit, a star of TV's "M*A*S*H," dies at 87
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. CBS via Getty Images 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.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Loretta Swit: M.A.S.H star known for playing Houlihan dies aged 87
Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret Houlihan on the pioneering hit TV series M.A.S.H, has died aged 87. Publicist Harlan Boll said Swit died 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 was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film, which was itself based on a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H Richard Hornberger. The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name. READ MORE The 2½ hour finale on February 28th, 1983, lured more than 100 million viewers, the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever. Rolling Stone magazine put M.A.S.H at No 25 of the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out put it at No 34. It won the Impact Award at the 2009 TV Land annual awards, as well as a Peabody Award in 1975 'for the depth of its humour 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'. In Altman's 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional character – a sex-crazed bimbo who earned the nickname 'Hot Lips'. Cast members from M.A.S.H: William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Loretta Swit, Henry Morgan, Mike Farrell, Alan Alda and William Ogden Stiers. Photograph: Doug Pizac/AP Her intimate moments were broadcast to the entire camp after somebody planted a microphone under her bed. Sally Kellerman played Houlihan in the movie version and Swit took it over for TV, eventually deepening and creating her into a much fuller character. The sexual appetite was played down and she was not called 'Hot Lips' in the later years. The growing awareness of feminism in the 1970s spurred Houlihan's transformation from caricature to 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 told Suzy Kalter, author of The Complete Book of M.A.S.H. '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.' Loretta Swit at the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2018. Photograph: Richard Shotwell/Invision via AP 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. After the TV series, Swit became a vocal animal welfare activist, selling SwitHeart perfume and her memoir through her official website, with proceeds benefiting various animal-related non-profit groups. In 1983, she married actor Dennis Holahan, whom she had met when he was a guest star on M.A.S.H. They divorced in 1995. Born in Passaic, 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 before she got her big break with M.A.S.H in 1972. – AP
National Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner who played Houlihan on TV's M*A*S*H, has died at 87
NEW YORK — Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series M*A*S*H, has died. She was 87. Article content Article content Publicist Harlan Boll says Swit died Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes. Article content Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on M*A*S*H, which was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film, itself based on a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger. Article content The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name. The two-and-a-half-hour finale on Feb. 28, 1983, lured over 100 million viewers, the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever. Article content Article content Rolling Stone magazine put M*A*S*H at No. 25 of the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out put it at No. 34. It won the Impact Award at the 2009 TV Land annual awards. It won a Peabody Award in 1975 'for the depth of 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.' Article content In Altman's 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional character — a prickly, rules-bound head nurse who was regularly tormented by male colleagues, who gave her the nickname 'Hot Lips.' Her intimate moments were broadcast to the entire camp after somebody planted a microphone under her bed. Article content Sally Kellerman played Houlihan in the movie version and Swit took it over for TV, eventually deepening and creating her into a much fuller character. Her sexuality was played down and she wasn't even called 'Hot Lips' in later years. Article content The growing awareness of feminism in the '70s spurred Houlihan's transformation from caricature to real person, but a lot of the change was due to Swit's influence on the scriptwriters. Article content Article content '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 M*A*S*H. Article content '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.' Article content M*A*S*H wasn't an instant hit. It finished its first season in 46th place, out of 75 network TV series, but it nabbed nine Emmy nominations. It was rewarded with a better time slot for its sophomore season, paired on Saturday nights with All in the Family, then TV's highest-rated show. At the 1974 Emmys, it was crowned best comedy, with Alda winning as best comedy actor.
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Loretta Swit, MASH star and 2-time Emmy winner, dead at 87
Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the hit TV series MASH, has died. She was 87. Publicist Harlan Boll says Swit died Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes. Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on MASH, which was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film, that was itself based on a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger. The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name. Over 100 milion viewers tuned in for the two-and-a-half-hour finale on Feb. 28, 1983, making it the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever. Rolling Stone magazine put MASH at No. 25 of the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out put it at No. 34. It won a Peabody Award in 1975"for the depth of its humour 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." Creating 'a real person' on screen In Altman's 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional character — a prickly, rules-bound head nurse who was regularly tormented by male colleagues, who gave her the nickname "Hot Lips." In the movie, her intimate moments were broadcast to the entire camp after somebody planted a microphone under her bed. Sally Kellerman played Houlihan in the movie version and Swit took it over for TV, eventually deepening and creating her into a much fuller character. Her sexuality was played down and she wasn't called "Hot Lips" in the show's later years. The growing awareness of feminism in the '70s spurred Houlihan's transformation from caricature to real person, but a lot of the changes were 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 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." Swit a mainstay on long-running series MASH wasn't an instant hit. It finished its first season in 46th place, out of 75 network TV series, but it nabbed nine Emmy nominations. It was rewarded with a better time slot for its sophomore season, paired on Saturday nights with All in the Family, then TV's highest-rated show. At the 1974 Emmys, it was crowned best comedy, with Alda winning as best comedy actor. The series also survived despite cast churn. In addition to Swit and Alda, the first season featured Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville and Gary Burghoff. Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell and David Ogden Stiers would later be added, while Jamie Farr and William Christopher had expanded roles. "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. Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion," National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson said in a statement. Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of the series, which lasted nearly four times longer than the Korean War itself, exploring issues like PTSD, sexism and racism. Swit pushed for a better representation for women. Wrote key speech for series finale The series ended on a happy note for Houlihan, who spends much of the finale debating whether she wants to head to Tokyo or Belgium for her next overseas post. Ultimately she opts to return to America to work at a hospital, citing her father — a career Army man. Swit didn't personally agree that was the best decision for a military-minded official. "I didn't think that was correct for my Margaret," she told Yahoo Entertainment in 2023. "I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn't agree with that, but that's what they wanted her to do." But the actor did get to write the speech that Houlihan delivers to her fellow nurses on their final night together, in which she says: "It's been an honour and privilege to have worked with you. And I'm very, very proud to have known you." "I was consumed with writing that. 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," she told Yahoo Entertainment. After the TV series, Swit became a vocal animal welfare activist, selling SwitHeart perfume and her memoir through her official website, with proceeds benefiting various animal-related nonprofit groups. In 1983, she married actor Dennis Holahan, whom she'd met when he was a guest star on MASH. They divorced in 1995. Swit was born in New Jersey Born in Passaic, N.J., the daughter of Polish immigrants. She 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 MASH. "I did major roles on television for about a year and then there was this pilot they were going to do, based on [the movie] MASH, which I'd never seen," Swit told CBC's First Edition in 1997. "Suddenly, I was in a series." She would regularly return to theatre, starring on Broadway in 1975 in Same Time, Next Year and The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1986. She was in Amorous Crossing, a romantic comedy, at Alhambra Theatre & Dining in 2010 and in North Carolina Theatre's production of Mame in 2003.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Loretta Swit who played Houlihan on pioneering TV series M.A.S.H dies aged 87
Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret Houlihan on the pioneering hit TV series M.A.S.H, has died aged 87. Publicist Harlan Boll said Swit died on Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes. Advertisement Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on M.A.S.H which was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film, which was itself based on a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H Richard Hornberger. Cast members from M.A.S.H William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Loretta Swit, Henry Morgan, Mike Farrell, Alan Alda and William Ogden Stiers (Doug Pizac/AP) The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name. The two-and-a-half-hour finale on February 28 1983 lured over 100 million viewers, the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever. Rolling Stone magazine put M.A.S.H at No 25 of the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out put it at No 34. Advertisement It won the Impact Award at the 2009 TV Land annual awards, as well as a Peabody Award in 1975 'for the depth of its humour 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'. In Altman's 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional character — a sex-crazed bimbo who earned the nickname 'Hot Lips'. Her intimate moments were broadcast to the entire camp after somebody planted a microphone under her bed. Loretta Swit at the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2018 (Richard Shotwell/Invision via AP) Sally Kellerman played Houlihan in the movie version and Swit took it over for TV, eventually deepening and creating her into a much fuller character. Advertisement The sexual appetite was played down and she was not even called 'Hot Lips' in the later years. The growing awareness of feminism in the seventies spurred Houlihan's transformation from caricature to 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 told Suzy Kalter, author of The Complete Book of M.A.S.H. '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.' Advertisement 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. Actress Loretta Swit poses in Los Angeles (Wally Fong/AP) After the TV series, Swit became a vocal animal welfare activist, selling SwitHeart perfume and her memoir through her official website, with proceeds benefitting various animal-related non-profit groups. In 1983, she married actor Dennis Holahan, whom she had met when he was a guest star on M.A.S.H. They divorced in 1995. Born in Passaic, 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. Advertisement In 1969, she arrived in Hollywood and was soon seen in series such as Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible and Bonanza before she got her big break with M.A.S.H in 1972.
