M*A*S*H Star Loretta Swit Dies at 87, ‘Hot Lips’ Legacy Lives On
So apparently the world just bid farewell to the real ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan. Loretta Swit, the powerhouse nurse who anchored the 4077th in M*A*S*H for 11 seasons, passed away at her Los Angeles home on July 3, 2024, People magazine reports. She was 87. Deadline and Variety have both confirmed the sad news, citing family statements and her longtime publicist.
Swit’s deadpan delivery and sharp wit made Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan one of TV’s most memorable characters. She joined the series in 1972 and never looked back, appearing in all 256 episodes and snagging Emmy Awards in 1977 and 1980. According to Variety, she once joked on set, “I showed up expecting a temporary gig and stayed because I liked the people—mostly.” That off-hand remark masked her drive to elevate women’s roles in prime-time drama, and it paid off: Houlihan went from one-dimensional officer to nuanced heroine, long before “strong female lead” was a buzzword.
Off-camera, Swit cultivated a life as rich as her on-screen persona. People magazine recalls her Broadway turns in Camelot and her passion for watercolor painting, which landed gallery shows in New York and Santa Fe. The veteran actor’s activism earned her honors from animal-welfare groups and a lifetime achievement award from SAG-AFTRA in 2015, per Hollywood Reporter. Friends and co-stars flooded social media with personal anecdotes—Alan Alda remembered her as “a force of nature with a heart of gold,” while Jamie Farr noted how Swit “never took herself too seriously.”
Family sources say she’s survived by two siblings and a clutch of devoted fans spanning generations. Funeral arrangements are private, but a public memorial is expected later this summer in Los Angeles, Variety confirms. Classic TV channels have already announced special M*A*S*H marathons in her honor, making it clear that Swit’s influence still commands the screen.
Swit’s departure closes a chapter on television history, but her legacy—both as a trailblazing female character and an impassioned activist—continues to resonate. If your feed now feels a little emptier without Hot Lips cracking orders at camp, you’re not alone. If this tribute floods your timeline, don’t say I didn’t share first. Anyway, that’s the lowdown.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
