Actress Loretta Swit, widely celebrated for her iconic role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the acclaimed television series MASH*, has died at the age of 87.
According to her publicist, Harlan Boll, Swit passed away on Friday, May 30, in her New York City apartment. Boll told TMZ that he had spoken to her the night before and that she seemed to be in good health. Her body was discovered at 10 a.m. by her maid, and she was pronounced dead at noon. While an official cause of death has not been confirmed, it is believed she died of natural causes.
Swit’s portrayal of Houlihan, the sharp-witted head nurse in a U.S. Army medical unit during the Korean War, earned her 10 Emmy nominations and two wins. MASH*, which ran from 1972 to 1983, remains a cultural landmark, with its finale drawing over 100 million viewers, making it the most-watched scripted episode in television history.
In addition to her work on MASH*, Swit had an extensive television career, with appearances in series such as Hawaii Five-0, Murder, She Wrote, and others, as well as roles in film. Her legacy as a defining figure in American television remains firmly intact.
