Loretta Swit Biography

She made her acting debut in 1969, playing multiple roles in four episodes of the police-procedural drama series ‘Hawaii Five-O.’ She made guest appearances in series such as ‘Mission: Impossible’ and ‘Mannix.’

In 1972, she made her film debut with the supporting role of ‘Hilary McBride’ in the comedy film titled ‘Stand Up and Be Counted.’

The same year, after appearing in guest roles in series such as ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Young Dr. Kildare.’ She made a major TV breakthrough, playing one of the main roles in the war comedy–drama series titled ‘M AS H.’ Her character was that of a lusty, talented head nurse named ‘Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan.’ The series was set against the backdrop of the Korean War.

During the first few seasons, her character was shown as a single and highly patriotic girl, but as the series progressed, her character mellowed down. The series was a huge critical and commercial success and ran for 11 seasons, covering 256 episodes. At its time, the season finale, which was telecast on February 28, 1983, was the most-watched episode in American TV history.

Loretta received huge acclaim for her portrayal and won two ‘Emmy Awards.’ The series ran until 1983, and in between, Loretta also appeared on other remarkable TV shows, such as ‘Love, American Style’, ‘The Merv Griffin Show,’ and ‘The Bobby Vinton Show.’

In 1973, she began appearing on the hit game show titled ‘Pyramid,’ and until 1979, she had appeared in 90 episodes of the show.

Around the same time, she also appeared on another popular game show, ‘Match Game’ (51 episodes). She also appeared on the talk show titled ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ (six episodes).

Her film career ran smoothly in the 1970s, with major appearances in films such as ‘Deadhead Miles’ and ‘Freebie and the Bean.’

The 1975 horror film titled ‘Race with the Devil’ featured her as ‘Alice,’ one of the lead roles. The film, which had Peter Fonda playing the lead role, was a huge critical and commercial success.

She also appeared in key roles in films such as ‘Beer’ and ‘Whoops Apocalypse.’

Her TV career in the 1980s was mostly spent doing TV films. Throughout the decade, she appeared in many TV films, such as ‘The Kid from Nowhere,’ ‘The Execution,’ and ‘A Christmas Calendar’ (TV special).

The frequency of her on-screen appearances lessened to a great degree in the 1990s, as she appeared in a handful of films during that time. One of them was ‘Forest Warrior.’ She played a supporting role in the film. It was an average critical and commercial success. She also appeared in the film titled ‘Beach Movie’ (1998) around the same time.

She mostly appeared in guest roles on TV, appearing in series such as ‘Diagnosis: Murder’ and ‘Cow and Chicken’ (voice). Additionally, she appeared in six episodes of the game show ‘Hollywood Squares.’

Her last film appearance to date was in the film ‘Play the Flute’ in 2019.

She wrote a book titled ‘A Needlepoint Scrapbook,’ detailing various needlepoint designs.

She received her own “star” on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ in 1989.

Loretta Swit dated actor Dennis Holahan in the early 1980s and got married to him in 1983. The couple divorced in 1995. Following this, Loretta remained single. She did not have any children.

In the 1980s, she became a supporter of R Adams Cowley, the founder of the ‘Shock Trauma Unit’ at the ‘University of Maryland.’ It was a one-of-a-kind establishment in the country.

Loretta Swit died on May 30, 2025, at the age of 87, at her home in New York City.

Loretta Swit was an avid animal rights activist and worked tirelessly for various animal welfare causes throughout her career.

In addition to her acting talents, Loretta Swit was also an accomplished artist who held several exhibitions of her paintings.

Despite her tough-as-nails persona on screen, Loretta Swit was known for her warm and friendly personality off-camera, often going out of her way to make her co-stars feel comfortable on set.

Loretta Swit was a talented singer and performed in various musicals and cabaret shows over the years, showcasing her versatile talents beyond acting.

Loretta Swit had a great sense of humor and was known for her witty one-liners and playful banter, making her a joy to work with on any project.