Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her iconic role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the long-running television series M*A*S*H, is dead. She was 87.
Born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, Swit’s career spanned television, film, and the stage, but her portrayal of the fiercely independent and compassionate army nurse during the Korean War made her a household name. She was part of M*A*S*H since the first episode debuted in 1972 and remained a central figure throughout the show’s 11-season run, winning two Emmy Awards and millions of fans.
“[Houlihan] was [unique] at the time and in her time, which was the ’50s, when [the Korean War] was happening,” Swit said in a 2004 interview. “And she became even more unique, I think, because we allowed her to continue to grow — we watched her evolve. I don’t think that’s ever been done in quite that way.“
More to come…
