M*A*S*H
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$5 Million
“M*A*S*H is about, I think, the resilience, the courage, and the patriotism. The delicate nature of man. It’s about loyalty. It’s about how a bad situation — a deadly situation — can sometimes bring out the best in human beings and make you proud of your species.” Beloved all over the world for her performance as Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on one of television’s most celebrated series, M*A*S*H, Loretta Swit has many accolades to her name, including two Emmy Awards, a People’s Choice Award, and countless other nominations.
While Swit’s impressive active career spanned four efforts, her accomplishments aren’t limited to the stage and screen. She’s also devoted her life to working tirelessly on behalf of animal rights, as well as authored a book, SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit, which chronicles her journey as both an artist and an activist. Wondering about Swit’s road to icon status on M*A*S*H, and what’s she’s been up to since then? We’ve got the scoop on this legendary leading lady’s inspiring life.
From Stenographer to TV Star
Loretta Swit was born in Passaic, New Jersey on November 4, 1937 to Lester and Nellie Swit. Swit’s parents had immigrated from Poland, and were not initially in favor of her pursuing a career in show business. She was not deterred by their lack of enthusiasm, and says of her early aspirations, “The first thought I ever had in my head was being an actress. I can’t remember ever not wanting to perform.”
After graduating high school and attending secretarial school, Swit worked as a stenographer. She still dreamed of performing, and went on to study drama with Gene Frankel in New York City. She also trained as a singer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Swit’s professional career began when she landed a role with the national touring production of Any Wednesday in 1967. This would kick off an illustrious career on stage, which included Broadway runs in Same Time Next Year and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She has appeared in numerous other theater productions, including with two companies of Mame; more than 500 performances of the one-woman show, Shirley Valentine, for which she won The Sarah Siddons Award, Chicago’s highest theatrical award; Song of Singapore; Love Letters; The Odd Couple; Amorous Crossings; Driving Miss Daisy; Barefoot in the Park; and many others. Most recently, Swit appeared in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks in Buffalo, New York.
Swit followed her dreams to Hollywood in 1969, where she nabbed guest roles on a number of television shows, including her first television credit, Hawaii Five-O. Other appearances include Gunsmoke; Mission, Impossible; and Mannix.
It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Swit won the role that would change her life forever: M*A*S*H’s wise and wise-cracking Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan. Taking over for actress Sally Kellerman who’d played the role in the feature film of M*A*S*H, Swit made it her unmistakable own. The show went on to run for 256 episodes, and Swit is credited for all of them.
Of her time on the show, Swit says, “I worked with a family of brilliant performers and lovely human beings. We had, for the most part, the same politics, the same values. We just became a tight-night family ...And I think a lot of that makes for the quality of the show, the quality of those characters….It was very, very special. And it just was in a category of its own. It was M*A*S*H.”
Moving On and Giving Back
While Hot Lips may be the role for which Swit is most well-known, her acting resume is extensive, and includes many other television and big screen appearances. She originated the role of Chris Cagney for the television pilot of Cagney and Lacey, but was unable to follow through with the role due to contractual obligations with “M*A*S*H”. Her other acting credits include Games Mother Never Taught You; The Execution; A Killer Among Friends; Stand Up and Be Counted; Freebie and the Bean; Race with the Devil; Beer; S.O.B.; Whoops Apocalypse; The Lords of Tanglewood; and Boardheads. She’s also guest-starred on television shows ranging from The Love Boat to Bonanza, as well as performed on many television musical specials, including alongside Kermit and Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show. Fittingly, Swit received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989.
Swit's passion for animal rights equals her passion for acting, and no discussion of her life would be complete without mention of her commitment to animal activism. She combined her love of acting and animals with her wildlife television series, Those Incredible Animals, which not only ran for five years on the Discovery Channel, but also aired in more than 30 countries.
For her ceaseless efforts on behalf of animals over the years, Swit has received many honors, including the GES Africa Conservation Fund’s Global Wildlife Conservation Champion Award; Actors and Others for Animals’ Betty White Award; the Red Cross Humanitarian Award; the Westminster Animal Welfare & Leadership Award; and the Farm Sanctuary’s Advocate for Farm Animals Award. She’s also been named the Woman of the Year by both the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Animal Protection Institute.
Today, Swit encourages others to follow in her footsteps by volunteering for causes about which they care, too. She urges, “You can be involved on so many levels. When you start giving, you start getting so much -- and you keep giving because you keep getting! If everyone starts lighting that candle, it’s going to be a lighter place for everybody. It’s infectious. And it works! It just takes one to do it. Happily, since I’ve been active, I have seen an incredible movement. There are so many of us lighting those candles, and making it brighter: Getting better, and wiser, and more compassionate!”
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