Loretta Swit, who played Maj. Margaret Houlihan on the TV series “M*A*S*H,” died, her representative confirmed to CBS News. She was 87.
Swit died at home in New York City, her representative, B. Harlan Boll, told CBS News on Friday. She was thought to have died from natural causes.
Swit appeared on stage and screen, but she was best known for her long-running role as the head nurse who served as a foil to Alan Alda’s Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce on “M*A*S*H,” which aired on CBS for 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983.
The show was based on Robert Altman’s Oscar-winning 1970 film, which was praised for its freewheeling humor, satirical approach to war films, the abundance of blood in the operating room, and the nudity of the nurses. The TV series, produced by Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, was toned down for television while retaining the film’s anti-establishment theme.
The show is setting, the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, allowed doctors burdened with grueling work to let off steam by playing pranks, telling jokes while performing “meatball surgery,” and arguing with patients and Army ranks about issues such as racism, sexism, infidelity, and the effects of PTSD on 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. Gary Burghoff, an actor from Altman’s film, returned to play “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 constantly attempting to obtain a Section 8 discharge from the Army for cross-dressing.
Later seasons would feature Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman Potter, and David Ogden Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester.
Swit won two Emmys for her performances on “M*A*S*H” and was nominated for eight more. She was nominated for four Golden Globes.
Swit wanted to portray Houlihan as more than the “Hot Lips” nickname her character received 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 recounted to the writer of “The Complete Book of ‘M.A.S.H,'” Suzy Kalter, who wrote the novel.
“To put it simply, I kept track of every traumatic change in her life. I did not approach the next episode like it was a different character in a different play. She was a character in constant flux; she never stopped evolving.”
Swit was praised for her work after she died.
“Loretta Swit is 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 in Jamestown, New York. “Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion.”
Swit told Yahoo Entertainment in 2003 that she would have chosen a different ending for her character if the series had ended with Houlihan returning to the United States rather than accepting a position in another country.
“I believe her next destination was Vietnam. So I did not agree with that, but it was what they wanted her to do,” Swit explained.
She told the outlet that she continues to receive letters from women all over the world who are inspired to become nurses because of Houlihan.
“To have contributed to someone is life like that is remarkable,” Swit told reporters.