Loretta Swit, Star of ‘M*A*S*H’ and TV Icon, Dies at 87

Loretta Swit, Star Of ‘m*a*s*h’ And Tv Icon, Dies At 87

Major “Hot Lips” Houlihan has left the building.

Loretta Swit — the feisty, funny, and fearless star of M*A*S*H — has died at 87.

The Emmy-winning actress passed away peacefully at her home in New York on Thursday, confirmed her publicist Harlan Boll. The cause: natural, and sadly final, as AP News reported.

If you’ve ever binge-watched M*A*S*H (and really, who hasn’t?), you’ll know Swit’s unforgettable turn as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan — sharp-tongued, sharp-witted, and never afraid to speak her mind in a tent full of men during the Korean War. She held her own through all 11 seasons, appearing in a whopping 251 episodes.

Swit wasn’t just comic relief — she brought grit, warmth, and depth to a show that blended battlefield drama with biting satire. It wasn’t easy being the only main woman in a cast of rowdy surgeons, but Swit made it look effortless.

“She was incredibly proud of the work she did,” Boll said. And rightly so. She earned two Emmys for her performance — and the kind of lasting fandom most actors dream of.

Before M*A*S*H, Swit cut her teeth on stage and made guest appearances on everything from Gunsmoke to Hawaii Five-O. But once she stepped into the olive-green uniform, she became TV royalty.

Off-screen, she was just as bold. Swit was a lifelong animal rights advocate, founding the SwitHeart Animal Alliance and publishing SwitHeart, a book of her watercolors that raised money for rescue groups.

She married actor Dennis Holahan in 1983 — their on-screen chemistry in M*A*S*H spilled over into real life — but they divorced in 1988. Swit never remarried and didn’t have children, but she leaves behind legions of fans, friends, and animals she championed.

Swit’s final years were quieter, filled with advocacy work and art. But her legacy? Loud, proud, and forever tied to one of TV’s most iconic roles.

She may be gone, but in the world of classic television, Loretta Swit is eternal.