Alan Alda, who starred on CBS’ long-running comedy series M*A*S*H alongside Loretta Swit, spoke out Friday after the news of Swit’s death at age 87.
Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H from 1972-1983, died at her home in New York City at age 87.
“Loretta was a supremely talented actor,” he posted on X.
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.” Watch on Deadline Swit and Alda appeared in all 251 episodes of M*A*S*H including the 2½-hour series finale that aired in February 1983.
Following the announcement of Loretta Swit’s passing at the age of 87, Alan Alda, who costarred with Swit on CBS’s enduring comedy series M*A*S*H, weighed in on Friday.
At the age of 87, Swit, who portrayed Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1983, passed away at her New York City home.
Capt. was played by Alda. The 14-time Emmy-winning program, which was based on Robert Altman’s 1970 feature film and starred Elliott Gould as Hawkeye and Sally Kellerman as Hot Lips, the primary nurse at the U.S. S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital close to the Korean War front lines.
“Loretta was an exceptionally gifted actor,” he wrote on X. She was deserving of her two Emmy victories and all ten nominations. But she didn’t just play the part; she made it. She put a lot of effort into teaching the writers how to transform the character from a one-joke sexist stereotype into a real person with genuine emotions and goals. We rejoiced when the script was released, revealing that she would be playing Margaret instead of Hot Lips. Loretta utilized this opportunity to the fullest. “.”.
Follow along on Deadline.
Including the two and a half-hour series finale that aired in February 1983, Swit and Alda were featured in all 251 episodes of M*A*S*H. With over 105 million viewers and an incredible 60.2 rating/77 share, it continues to be the most-watched episode of series TV in series history.
