Emmy-winning M.A.S.H actress Loretta Swit dies aged 87

Loretta Swit, who won 2 Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret Houlihan, nan demanding caput caregiver of a behind-the-lines surgical portion during nan Korean War connected nan pioneering deed TV bid M.A.S.H., has died. She was 87.

Publicist Harlan Boll says Swit died Friday astatine her location successful New York City, apt from earthy causes.

Swit and Alan Alda were nan longest-serving formed members connected M.A.S.H., which was based connected Robert Altman's 1970 film, which was itself based connected a caller by Richard Hooker, nan pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger.

The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving astir life astatine nan 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave nan show its name.

The two-and-a-half-hour finale connected February 28, 1983, lured complete 100 cardinal viewers, nan most-watched section of immoderate scripted bid ever.

Rolling Stone mag put M.A.S.H. astatine No. 25 of nan champion TV shows of each time, while Time Out put it astatine No. 34. It won nan Impact Award astatine nan 2009 TV Land yearly awards.

It won a Peabody Award successful 1975 "for nan extent of its joke and nan mode successful which drama is utilized to assistance nan tone and, arsenic well, to connection a profound connection connected nan quality of war."

Swit transforms nan characteristic of Houlihan

In Altman's 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional characteristic — a prickly, rules-bound caput caregiver who was regularly tormented by antheral colleagues, who gave her nan nickname "Hot Lips."

Her friendly moments were broadcast to nan full campy aft personification planted a microphone nether her bed.

Sally Kellerman played Houlihan successful nan movie type and Swit took it complete for TV, yet deepening and creating her into a overmuch fuller character.

Her sexuality was played down and she wasn't moreover called "Hot Lips" successful nan later years.

The increasing consciousness of feminism successful nan '70s spurred Houlihan's translator from caricature to existent person, but a batch of nan alteration was owed to Swit's power connected nan scriptwriters.

"Around nan 2nd aliases 3rd twelvemonth I decided to effort to play her arsenic a existent person, successful an intelligent fashion, moreover if it meant hurting nan jokes," Swit told Suzy Kalter, writer of "The Complete Book of M.A.S.H."

"To oversimplify it, I took each traumatic alteration that happened successful her life and kept it. I didn't spell into nan adjacent section arsenic if it were a different characteristic successful a different play.

"She was a characteristic successful changeless flux; she ne'er stopped developing."

M.A.S.H. wasn't an instant hit. It vanished its first play successful 46th place, retired of 75 web TV series, but it nabbed 9 Emmy nominations.

It was rewarded pinch a amended clip slot for its sophomore season, paired connected Saturday nights pinch All successful nan Family, past TV's highest-rated show.

At nan 1974 Emmys, it was crowned champion comedy, pinch Alda winning arsenic champion drama actor.

The bid besides survived contempt formed churn. In summation to Swit and Alda, nan first play featured Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville and Gary Burghoff.

Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell and David Ogden Stiers would later beryllium 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 spot to 1 of tv comedy's astir enduring roles.

"Her talent extended good beyond that iconic character, pinch acclaimed activity connected some shape and surface that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion," National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said successful a statement.

Swit appeared successful each but 11 episodes of nan series, astir 4 times longer than nan Korean War itself, exploring issues for illustration PTSD, sexism and racism. Swit pushed for a amended practice for women.

"One of nan things I liked, pinch Loretta's prodding, was each clip I had a chance to constitute for her character, we'd get distant from nan Hot Lips perspective and find retired much astir who Margaret was. She became much of a existent person," Alda told The Hollywood Reporter successful 2018.

The bid ended connected a happy statement for Houlihan, who spends overmuch of nan finale debating whether she wants to caput to Tokyo aliases Belgium for her adjacent overseas post.

Ultimately, she opts to return to America and activity astatine a hospital, citing her begetter — a profession Army man.

Swit didn't personally work together that was nan correct determination for a military-minded official: "I didn't deliberation that was correct for my Margaret," she told Yahoo Entertainment successful 2023.

"I deliberation her adjacent move was Vietnam. So I didn't work together pinch that, but that's what they wanted her to do."

But nan character did get to constitute nan reside that Houlihan delivers to her chap nurses connected their last nighttime together, successful which she says: "It's been an honour and privilege to person worked pinch you. And I'm very, very proud to person known you."

"I was consumed pinch penning that. And I still get letters from women each complete nan world who became nurses because of Margaret Houlihan.

To person contributed to someone's life for illustration that is remarkable," she told Yahoo Entertainment.

During her run, Houlihan had an matter pinch Hawkeye's foil, nan bumbling Frank Burns, played by Linville successful nan TV version, and successful Season 5, Houlihan returns from a enactment successful Tokyo engaged to a handsome lieutenant colonel, a storyline that Swit says she advocated for pinch nan writers.

"I told them: 'Can you ideate what nosy you're going to person pinch Larry erstwhile I travel backmost to municipality and I show him I'm engaged? He'll rip nan doors disconnected of nan messiness tent!' And that's precisely what they had him do. So we were each of nan aforesaid mind."

Toward nan end, Swit was tempted to time off nan show.

She played nan domiciled of Chris Cagney successful a 1981 tv movie, Cagney & Lacey, and was offered nan portion erstwhile it was picked up arsenic a midseason bid for nan outpouring of 1982.

But producers insisted she enactment pinch M.A.S.H. for its past 2 seasons.

Swit told The Florida Times-Union successful 2010 she mightiness person stayed pinch M.A.S.H. anyway. "You can't thief but get amended arsenic an character moving pinch scripts for illustration that," she said.

"If you're successful thing that literate, well, we sewage spoiled."

In 2022, James Poniewozik, The New York Times's main tv critic, looked backmost connected nan show and said it held up well: "Its blend of madcap drama and pitch-dark play — nan laughs amplifying nan superior stakes, and vice versa — is recognizable successful today's dramedies, from 'Better Things' to 'Barry,' that activity successful nan DMZ betwixt laughter and sadness."

After nan TV series, Swit became a vocal animal use activist, trading SwitHeart perfume and her memoir done her charismatic website, pinch proceeds benefiting various animal-related nonprofit groups.

In 1983, she joined character Dennis Holahan, whom she'd met erstwhile he was a impermanent prima connected M.A.S.H. They divided successful 1995.

Swit was calved successful New Jersey

Born successful Passaic, New Jersey, nan girl of Polish immigrants, Swit enrolled successful nan American Academy of Dramatic Arts, past paid her dues for years successful touring productions.

In 1969, she arrived successful Hollywood and was soon seen successful bid specified arsenic Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible and Bonanza.

Then successful 1972, she sewage her large break erstwhile she was asked to audition for nan domiciled of "Hot Lips."

She would regularly return to theater, starring connected Broadway successful 1975 successful "Same Time, Next Year" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" successful 1986.

She was successful "Amorous Crossing," a romanticist comedy, astatine Alhambra Theatre & Dining successful 2010 and successful North Carolina Theatre's accumulation of "Mame" successful 2003.