Loretta Swit, who twice won Emmys for playing Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on MASH, is being remembered by friends tonight.
Co-star Alan Alda wrote on X: “Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She deserved all her 10 EMMY nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it. She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here.’
Swit was nominated for Emmys every year of the “MASH” and won two of them.
When Sally Kellerman played “Hot Lips” in the “MASH” movie, the character was part of a randy group of American doctors working in the Korean war. Kellerman was very funny.
But by the time “MASH” got going in 1972, it was a different real world for women. Loretta Swit’s portrayal turned “Hot Lips” into Margaret, a forerunner of women’s rights. She was smart first and sexy second. She was the only lead female in a cast of men, and held her head high.
Loretta Swit will be sorely missed, but like Mary Tyler Moore and a a few others she won’t be forgotten as a trailblazer.
I’m devastated to hear my friend of 50 years has passed. Just spoke to Loretta 2 days ago & she was her usual feisty, hysterically funny self. This is a hard one. I was her 1st house guest in her new home in ‘75 & helped her paint her NY apartment. Just heartbroken. So hard to… https://t.co/eDX2JwHECA
— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) May 30, 2025
VERY SAD 2 SAY AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN, ACTIVIST & ACTRESS HAS DIED 2DAY, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH 2 BEFRIEND HER IN RECENT YRS, SHE STILL HAD THE SHARP WIT & A FIRE BURNING DEEP! #RIPLORETTASWIT Loretta Swit, who won 2 Emmys on “M.A.S.H.," has died. She was 87 https://t.co/GhMermXMri
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) May 30, 2025
