Loretta Swit: Actress and animal rights activist dies at 87

A piece of television history has come to an end: Loretta Swit, who captivated millions of viewers as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the legendary CBS series "MASH," passed away on Friday at her home in New York City. According to her spokesperson, Harlan Boll, the 87-year-old died at 12:01 p.m., presumably of natural causes, as her spokesperson announced, according to "The Hollywood Reporter."

With her role as the strict yet complex head nurse in the cult comedy series, Swit shaped television like few others for eleven years. From 1972 to 1983, she embodied a character who evolved from an initially one-dimensional antagonist into one of the most complex female characters in television history.

Emmys and missed opportunities

Her performance did not go unnoticed: Swit was nominated for an Emmy ten times—every year "MASH" aired except for the first. She actually won twice, in 1980 and 1982. She was one of only two actors—along with Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce—to appear in both the pilot episode and the series finale.

This finale on February 28, 1983, drew nearly 106 million viewers—a record that still stands today. A 35-second kiss between Swit and Alda in this episode is considered the most expensive kiss in television history, based on advertising revenue per minute.

Passion for animal welfare

Away from the cameras, Swit was passionate about animal rights. In 2016, she founded the SwitHeart Animal Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare. She sold her original artwork to raise funds. In 1999, she even testified before Congress, campaigning against so-called "crush videos"—productions in which small animals are tortured.

From Polish immigrant child to TV star

Loretta Jane Szwed was born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, to Polish immigrants. Her parents were skeptical of her show business career, but she made her first appearance on stage at the age of seven. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and with Gene Frankel in Manhattan. After moving to Los Angeles in 1970, she gained her first acting experience in series such as "Hawaii Five-O," "Mission: Impossible," and "Gunsmoke" before landing the role of a lifetime.

Swit was married to actor Dennis Holahan, whom she met on the set of "MASH," from 1983 to 1995. In her final years, she largely withdrew from public life—her last film appearance dates back to 2019.

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