Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.,맥스카지노� has died. She was 87.Publicist Harlan Boll says Swit died Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes.Related video above: Remembering those we lost in 2025Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.,맥스카지노� which was based on Robert Altman맥스카지노�s 1970 film, which was itself based on a novel by Richard Hooker, the pseudonym of H. Richard Hornberger.The CBS show aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, revolving around life at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which gave the show its name. The two-and-a-half-hour finale on Feb. 28, 1983, lured over 100 million viewers, the most-watched episode of any scripted series ever.Rolling Stone magazine put 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.맥스카지노� at No. 25 of the best TV shows of all time, while Time Out put it at No. 34. It won the Impact Award at the 2009 TV Land annual awards. It won a Peabody Award in 1975 맥스카지노�for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war.맥스카지노�Swit transforms the character of HoulihanIn Altman맥스카지노�s 1970 film, Houlihan was a one-dimensional character 맥스카지노� a prickly, rules-bound head nurse who was regularly tormented by male colleagues, who gave her the nickname 맥스카지노�Hot Lips.맥스카지노� Her intimate moments were broadcast to the entire camp after somebody planted a microphone under her bed.Sally Kellerman played Houlihan in the movie version and Swit took it over for TV, eventually deepening and creating her into a much fuller character. Her sexuality was played down and she wasn맥스카지노�t even called 맥스카지노�Hot Lips맥스카지노� in the later years.The growing awareness of feminism in the 맥스카지노�70s spurred Houlihan맥스카지노�s transformation from caricature to real person, but a lot of the change was due to Swit맥스카지노�s influence on the scriptwriters.맥스카지노�Around the second or third year I decided to try to play her as a real person, in an intelligent fashion, even if it meant hurting the jokes,맥스카지노� Swit told Suzy Kalter, author of 맥스카지노�The Complete Book of 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�맥스카지노�To oversimplify it, I took each traumatic change that happened in her life and kept it. I didn맥스카지노�t go into the next episode as if it were a different character in a different play. She was a character in constant flux; she never stopped developing.맥스카지노�Alda praised Swit as a 맥스카지노�supremely talented actor맥스카지노� in a post on X. 맥스카지노�She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person 맥스카지노� 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.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.맥스카지노� wasn맥스카지노�t an instant hit. It finished its first season in 46th place, out of 75 network TV series, but it nabbed nine Emmy nominations. It was rewarded with a better time slot for its sophomore season, paired on Saturday nights with 맥스카지노�All in the Family,맥스카지노� then TV맥스카지노�s highest-rated show. At the 1974 Emmys, it was crowned best comedy, with Alda winning as best comedy actor.The series also survived despite cast churn. In addition to Swit and Alda, the first season featured Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville and Gary Burghoff. Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell and David Ogden Stiers would later be added, while Jamie Farr and William Christopher had expanded roles.맥스카지노�Loretta Swit맥스카지노�s portrayal of Margaret 맥스카지노�Hot Lips맥스카지노� Houlihan was groundbreaking 맥스카지노� bringing heart, humor, and strength to one of television comedy맥스카지노�s most enduring roles. Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion," National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.'More of a real person'Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of the series, nearly four times longer than the Korean War itself, exploring issues like PTSD, sexism and racism. Swit pushed for a better representation for women.맥스카지노�One of the things I liked, with Loretta맥스카지노�s prodding, was every time I had a chance to write for her character, we맥스카지노�d get away from the Hot Lips angle and find out more about who Margaret was. She became more of a real person,맥스카지노� Alda told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.The series ended on a happy note for Houlihan, who spends much of the finale debating whether she wants to head to Tokyo or Belgium for her next overseas post. Ultimately she opts to return to America and work at a hospital, citing her father 맥스카지노� a career Army man.Swit didn맥스카지노�t personally agree that was the correct decision for a military-minded official: 맥스카지노�I didn맥스카지노�t think that was correct for my Margaret,맥스카지노� she told Yahoo Entertainment in 2023. 맥스카지노�I think her next move was Vietnam. So I didn맥스카지노�t agree with that, but that맥스카지노�s what they wanted her to do.맥스카지노�But the actor did get to write the speech that Houlihan delivers to her fellow nurses on their final night together, in which she says: 맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s been an honor and privilege to have worked with you. And I맥스카지노�m very, very proud to have known you.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�I was consumed with writing that. And I still get letters from women all over the world who became nurses because of Margaret Houlihan. To have contributed to someone맥스카지노�s life like that is remarkable,맥스카지노� she told Yahoo Entertainment.During her run, Houlihan had an affair with Hawkeye맥스카지노�s foil, the bumbling Frank Burns, played by Linville in the TV version, and in Season 5, Houlihan returns from a stay in Tokyo engaged to a handsome lieutenant colonel, a storyline that Swit says she advocated for with the writers.맥스카지노�I told them: 맥스카지노�Can you imagine what fun you맥스카지노�re going to have with Larry when I come back to town and I tell him I맥스카지노�m engaged? He맥스카지노�ll rip the doors off of the mess tent!맥스카지노� And that맥스카지노�s exactly what they had him do. So we were all of the same mind.맥스카지노�Toward the end, Swit was tempted to leave the show. She played the role of Chris Cagney in a 1981 television movie, 맥스카지노�Cagney & Lacey,맥스카지노� and was offered the part when it was picked up as a midseason series for the spring of 1982. But producers insisted she stay with 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.맥스카지노� for its last two seasons.Swit told The Florida Times-Union in 2010 she might have stayed with 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.맥스카지노� anyway. 맥스카지노�You can맥스카지노�t help but get better as an actor working with scripts like that,맥스카지노� she said. 맥스카지노�If you맥스카지노�re in something that literate, well, we got spoiled.맥스카지노�In 2022, James Poniewozik, The New York Times맥스카지노�s chief television critic, looked back on the show and said it held up well: 맥스카지노�Its blend of madcap comedy and pitch-dark drama 맥스카지노� the laughs amplifying the serious stakes, and vice versa 맥스카지노� is recognizable in today맥스카지노�s dramedies, from 맥스카지노�Better Things맥스카지노� to 맥스카지노�Barry,맥스카지노� that work in the DMZ between laughter and sadness.맥스카지노�After the TV series, Swit became a vocal animal welfare activist, selling SwitHeart perfume and her memoir through her official website, with proceeds benefiting various animal-related nonprofit groups.In 1983, she married actor Dennis Holahan, whom she맥스카지노�d met when he was a guest star on 맥스카지노�M.A.S.H.맥스카지노� They divorced in 1995.Swit was born in New JerseyBorn in Passaic, New Jersey, the daughter of Polish immigrants, Swit enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, then paid her dues for years in touring productions.In 1969, she arrived in Hollywood and was soon seen in series such as 맥스카지노�Gunsmoke,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�Hawaii Five-O,맥스카지노� 맥스카지노�Mission Impossible맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�Bonanza.맥스카지노� Then in 1972, she got her big break when she was asked to audition for the role of 맥스카지노�Hot Lips.맥스카지노�She would regularly return to theater, starring on Broadway in 1975 in 맥스카지노�Same Time, Next Year맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�The Mystery of Edwin Drood맥스카지노� in 1986. She was in 맥스카지노�Amorous Crossing,맥스카지노� a romantic comedy, at Alhambra Theatre & Dining in 2010 and in North Carolina Theatre맥스카지노�s production of 맥스카지노�Mame맥스카지노� in 2003.