Loretta Swit cause of death: How did M*A*S*H star die? All on health issues and more
Loretta Swit, actor popular for playing Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on CBS sitcom M*A*S*H has died
Loretta Swit, actor popular for playing Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on CBS sitcom M*A*S*H has died, her publicist, Harlan Boll, told TMZ on Friday. She was 87.
The Hollywood Reporter cited a police report stating that Swit died just after midnight on Friday. Authorities suspect she died of natural causes. The actor was at her home in New York City. No major health issues have been publicly reported for Swit in recent years. In a 2020 Fox News interview during the COVID-19 pandemic, the then-82-year-old Swit discussed staying active indoors, creating PSAs for New York City and animal charities, and supporting veterans. She said, “The times are challenging, but we are tough.”
Swit was born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, to Polish-American parents Lester and Nellie Szwed. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, honing her acting skills in regional theater before transitioning to television and film.
The Emmy-winner began with stage roles in productions like The Balcony and appeared in TV shows such as Gunsmoke and Hawaii Five-O in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, her big break came with MASH*.
Swit portrayed Major Margaret Houlihan, the head nurse of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, in all 11 seasons of MASH*. Her performance earned her two Emmy Awards (1980, 1982).
The series finale, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” (1983), drew 105 million viewers, a record for scripted TV. She also starred in pilots like Cagney & Lacey (1981, as Chris Cagney) and guest-starred on The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder.
Loretta Swit appeared in movies such as Freebie and the Bean (1974) and Race with the Devil (1975). She was a dedicated animal rights advocate. Swit founded the SwitHeart Animal Alliance, raising funds for organizations like Bidawee and Mission K9 Rescue. Her 2017 book, SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit, with a second edition featuring a foreword by MASH* co-star Mike Farrell, raised $28,280 by 2023.
