Emmy-award winning actress and animal activist Loretta Swit known for her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the M*A*S*H TV series and the movie Goodbye, Farewell and Amen which aired after the series came to a close, has passed away at the age of 87 according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her publicist Harlan Boll reported the news just after midnight on Friday, May 30 at her home in New York City, citing natural causes.

Within M*A*S*H’s decade on the air from 1972-1983, Swit won two Emmy awards for her role as Army Nurse Major Margaret, being nominated over ten times, and via The Hollywood Reporter, appeared on over 240 episodes in the series’ 11 year run. Swit’s character was adapted from Sally Kellerman’s (Ashes to Ashes, The Living Edens) first portrayal of the role, before Swit’s casting. According to Entertainment Weekly, Kellerman was originally written off after a shower prank scene in which humiliated her, leading to Swit being cast in the role which shot her to stardom.

The finale aired on February 28, 1983, via The Hollywood Reporter, attracting a record number of 106 million viewers and a 35 second kiss between Swit and Alan Alda (The West Wing, Nothing But the Truth) who played as Chief Surgeon and notorious prankster Hawkeye Pierce. The kiss between Alda and Swit was reportedly called “the most expensive in television history” due to its length and per minute ad revenue.

The Hollywood Reporter also notes that Swit’s character Houlihan stood as a prominent figure in women empowerment, making her unique for the time period, and the show’s period being set in the 1950s. In a discussion with TV Academy Foundation in 2004, Swit commented on the uniqueness of her character and being ahead of her time.

“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.” She said via The Hollywood Reporter.

Another one of Swit’s roles came as The Execution (1985), Deadhead Miles (1973), 14 Going on 30 (1988), as well as making appearances in the 1973 comedy show The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour and The Don Rickles Show. Aside from her acclaimed role in M*A*S*H, Swit also played Detective Christine Cagney in the 1982 drama Cagney & Lacey, before being replaced by Meg Foster (The Lords of Salem, A Different Story) due to contract issues as she was still a main character in M*A*S*H, via The Hollywood Reporter.

The Hollywood Reporter also mentions that in Swit’s long and successful acting career, she remained active in theater alongside her roles, starring as one of the Pigeon Sisters in The Odd Couple, which starred Don Rickles (Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, Muscle Beach Party) and Ernest Borgnine (Super Fuzz, The Devil’s Rain). 

Aside from acting and broadway appearances, Swit was a dedicated supporter for animal rights and welfare, receiving Woman of the Year in 1999 for her activism which testified against animal and insect cruelty being portrayed on screen, as noted in The Hollywood Reporters article.

In 2019, Swit made a return to the screen, following a 21 year absence from acting.

Donations in honor of Swit may be sent to Actors & Others for Animals or the Switheart Animal Alliance in commemorating her passion for animals.