Loretta Swit, the actress best known for her role as Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan on the smash hit TV show 'MASH' has died.
She was 87 years old.
Swit died at her Manhattan home, per her rep.
Her rep Harlan Boll said the New York police reported her time of death at 12:01 p.m. on May 30, of suspected natural causes.
For her work on “MASH” Swit was Emmy nominated for outstanding performance by a supporting actress in a comedy every year from 1974-83, winning the Emmy in 1980 and 1982.
As “MASH” evolved over its 11-year run from a broadly farcical satire into a more contemplative series that embraced drama as much as comedy, the character of Margaret Houlihan and the way Swit performed it changed markedly as well. She was, at first, a crudely drawn villain allied with the weasel Frank Burns who existed to be object of derision and of practical jokes by Hawkeye and Trapper John.
Swit was born in New Jersey in 1937, the daughter of Polish immigrants, and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before joining with Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine for an L.A.-based production of 'The Odd Couple.' Swit went to Hollywood in the 1970s, where she made appearances on shows like 'Gunsmoke,' 'Mission: Impossible,' and 'Hawaii Five-O.'
She was cast as Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan in 1972 and stayed with the show for its entire 11-year run, joining Alan Alda as the two longest-running cast members. Swit drew on her comedy experience to play the beleaguered nurse who was often the target of practical jokes pulled by Alda's 'Hawkeye' Pierce. As the series progressed and took on a more serious tone, Swit's Houlihan also evolved
Swit was nominated for an Emmy for every season of 'MASH' (except the first) and won in 1980 and 1982.
After 'MASH,' Swit appeared in several dramatic TV movies, including 'The Execution,' and 'Hell Hath No Fury.'
Swit married Dennis Holahan in 1983. The pair met on the set of 'MASH' and divorced in 1995.
She was a vegetarian and animal activist, too.
Swit was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989.
She is survived by ex-husband Holahan, as well as 'MASH' castmates Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, Gary Burghoff, and Mike Farrell.