Loretta Swit

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Birth Name: Loretta Jane Swit

Born: 4 November 1937 Died: 30 May 2025

Country of origin: United States

Height: 5' 6"

Relationship Status: Single

Lists

157 votes

That 70's Girl (100 items)
list by Severin Severin

Published 13 years, 2 months ago

11 comments

129 votes

200 Sexiest Female Characters on TV (POLL) (200 items)
list by TheKnight12

Published 11 years, 11 months ago

49 comments

25 votes

Famous people of Polish descent. (32 items)
list by kissoflife

Published 14 years, 12 months ago

12 comments

12 votes

Saddest Celebrity Deaths of 2025 (82 items)
list by Leo

Published 1 year, 4 months ago

12 votes

Favourite Female TV Characters (65 items)
list by Rachel

Published 15 years ago

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Loretta Swit Videos

Bette Rogge interview with Loretta Swit

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Added 8 years ago

Loretta Swit on getting cast on "M.A.S.H" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

106 Views

Added 8 years ago

Loretta Swit on the cast of "M.A.S.H"- EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

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Added 8 years ago

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Description: Loretta Swit (born: Loretta Jane Swit on November 4, 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey) is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H Swit is of Polish descent. She studied with Gene Frankel in Manhattan and considered him her acting coach. She regularly returned to his studio to speak with aspiring actors throughout her career. Swit is also a singer who trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before entering the theater. She graduated from Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, NJ, in 1955. In 196 Loretta Swit (born: Loretta Jane Swit on November 4, 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey) is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H

Swit is of Polish descent. She studied with Gene Frankel in Manhattan and considered him her acting coach. She regularly returned to his studio to speak with aspiring actors throughout her career. Swit is also a singer who trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before entering the theater. She graduated from Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, NJ, in 1955.

In 1967, Swit toured with the national company of Any Wednesday, starring Gardner McKay. She continued as one of the Pigeon sisters opposite Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine in a Los Angeles run of The Odd Couple.
In 1975, Swit played in Same Time, Next Year on Broadway opposite Ted Bessell. She also performed on Broadway in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. From there, she played Agnes Gooch in the Las Vegas version of Mame, starring Susan Hayward and later, Celeste Holm. Most recently, Swit has toured with The Vagina Monologues.
In October–November 2003, she starred as the title character in North Carolina Theatre production of Mame in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In August–September 2010, Swit starred in the world premier of the Mark Miller play, Amorous Crossings at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida, directed by Todd Booth.

Starting in 1972, Swit played the sassy and beautiful blonde head nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the television series M*A*S*H. She inherited the star-making role from actress Sally Kellerman, who portrayed Houlihan in the feature film. Swit was one of only four cast members to stay for all 11 seasons of the show, from 1972 to 1983 (the others being Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher).
She and Alda were the only actors to have been in both the pilot episode and the finale; she appeared in all but 11 of the total of 251 episodes. Swit received two Emmy Awards for her work on M*A*S*H. Later, she was also the first M*A*S*H star to visit South Korea, when she narrated the documentary Korea, the Forgotten War.
Her favorite episodes are "Hot Lips & Empty Arms", "Margaret's Engagement" and "The Nurses".
She also had a close relationship with Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Sherman T. Potter. They became neighbors, after the series ended, until his death on December 7, 2011

Swit married actor Dennis Holahan in 1983 and divorced him in 1995. Holahan played Per Johannsen, a Swedish diplomat who became briefly involved with Swit's character in an episode of M*A*S*H. Swit has not remarried and has no children.
Swit has written a book on needlepoint (A Needlepoint Scrapbook). Swit is a very strong advocate for animals and animal rights, donating much of her time to animal-related causes.
In her 1986 book A Needlepoint Scrapbook, she declares that "We are Ms. Pac-Man fanatics in our house." She owns a Ms. Pac-Man machine. The book also includes a Ms. Pac-Man needlepoint design.
In the 1980s Swit supported efforts of Dr. R Adams Cowley, founder of the nation's first shock trauma unit at University of Md. Swit helped bring attention to his use of helicopters to transport injured civilians to shock trauma since 1969.
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