Loretta Swit
Encyclopedia
Loretta Swit 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.
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.
, 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.
, Mission: Impossible
, Hawaii Five-O
, and Mannix
.
, who portrayed Houlihan in the feature film. Swit, Alan Alda
, Jamie Farr
, and William Christopher
stayed for all 11 seasons of the show, from 1972 to 1983.
She and Alda were the only two actors to have been on 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.
, but was precluded by contractual obligations from continuing the role. Actress Meg Foster
portrayed Cagney for the first six episodes of the television series with Sharon Gless
taking over the role from that point on.
, Win, Lose or Draw
, Match Game
, Pyramid
, and Hollywood Squares
. She also starred in Christmas programs such as the television version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
and 1987's PBS Special A Christmas Calendar
. In 1992 she hosted the 26 part series Those Increbible Animals on the Discovery Channel
.
Loretta's latest appearance was on GSN Live
on October 10, 2008.
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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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.
Early life
Swit was born in Passaic, New JerseyPassaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
descent. She studied with Gene Frankel
Gene Frankel
__notoc__Eugene V. "Gene" Frankel was an American actor, theater director, and acting teacher especially notable in the founding of the off-Broadway scene...
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
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
before entering the theater. She graduated from Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, NJ, in 1955.
Theatre
In 1967, Swit toured with the national company of Any WednesdayAny Wednesday
Any Wednesday is a 1966 comedy film directed by Robert Ellis Miller, starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. The story centers around a Manhattan woman who is trying to decide between two suitors on the day of her 30th birthday.On August 18, 2009, Warner Brothers released the movie...
, starring Gardner McKay
Gardner McKay
George Cadogan Gardner McKay was an American actor, artist, and author.-Biography:Born in New York City, McKay graduated from Cornell University, where he majored in art. He became a Hollywood heart throb in the 1950s and 1960s. He landed the lead role in Adventures in Paradise, based loosely on...
. She continued as one of the Pigeon sisters opposite Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
and Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
in a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
run of The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
.
In 1975, Swit played in Same Time, Next Year
Same Time, Next Year
Same Time, Next Year is 1975 comedy play by Bernard Slade. The plot focuses on two people, married to others, who meet for a romantic tryst once a year for two dozen years.-Plot:...
on Broadway opposite Ted Bessell
Ted Bessell
Ted Bessell was an American television actor and director.-Early career:Born in Flushing, New York, Bessell grew up in Manhasset on Long Island, New York. He was originally gearing up for a career as a classical musician...
. She also performed on Broadway in The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final novel by Charles Dickens. The novel was left unfinished at the time of Dickens' death, and his intended ending for it remains unknown. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, the story focuses on Drood's uncle, choirmaster John Jasper, who...
. From there, she played Agnes Gooch in the Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
version of Mame, starring Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...
and later, Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
. Most recently, Swit has toured with The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
.
In October–November 2003, she starred as the title character in North Carolina Theatre
North Carolina Theatre
North Carolina Theatre is a professional theatre located in Raleigh, North Carolina. They perform four mainstage shows each year at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. It was founded by De Ann S...
production of Mame in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
In August–September 2010, Swit starred in the world premier of the Mark Miller
Mark Miller
Mark Miller may refer to:* Mark Miller , television actor and producer, father of Penelope Ann Miller* Mark Miller , American football quarterback...
play, Amorous Crossings at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida, directed by Todd Booth.
Television
When Swit arrived in Hollywood in 1970, she performed in television shows, including GunsmokeGunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, and Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
.
M*A*S*H
Starting in 1972, Swit played Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the television series M*A*S*H. She inherited the star-making role from actress Sally KellermanSally Kellerman
Sally Clare Kellerman is an American actress and singer known for her role as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film MASH , for which she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.-Early life:...
, who portrayed Houlihan in the feature film. Swit, Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
, Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
, and William Christopher
William Christopher
William Christopher is an American actor who is best known for playing Father Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H and Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...
stayed for all 11 seasons of the show, from 1972 to 1983.
She and Alda were the only two actors to have been on 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
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, when she narrated the documentary Korea, the Forgotten War.
Cagney & Lacey
In 1981, Swit played the "Christine Cagney" role in the movie pilot for the television series Cagney & LaceyCagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
, but was precluded by contractual obligations from continuing the role. Actress Meg Foster
Meg Foster
Megan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
portrayed Cagney for the first six episodes of the television series with Sharon Gless
Sharon Gless
Sharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
taking over the role from that point on.
Other TV work
Swit also guest-starred in shows such as The Love BoatThe Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, Win, Lose or Draw
Win, Lose or Draw
Win, Lose or Draw is an American television game show that aired from 1987 to 1990 in syndication and on NBC. It was taped at CBS Television City, often in Studios 31, 33, and 43 at various times...
, Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
, and Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
. She also starred in Christmas programs such as the television version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a book written by Barbara Robinson in 1972. It tells the story of six delinquent children surnamed Herdman. They go to church for the first time after being told that the church offers snacks...
and 1987's PBS Special A Christmas Calendar
A Christmas Calendar (TV special)
A Christmas Calendar is a 1987 PBS holiday special hosted and narrated by Loretta Swit. The program was co-produced for PBS by Deutsche Welle and Oregon Public Broadcasting.-Description:...
. In 1992 she hosted the 26 part series Those Increbible Animals on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
.
Loretta's latest appearance was on GSN Live
GSN Live
GSN Live is an American live interactive show on Game Show Network that premiered on February 25, 2008 at noon ET and officially ended its 3 year run on July 29, 2011. The last "live" edition aired May 13, 2011...
on October 10, 2008.
Filmography
- Beach Movie (1998)
- Forest WarriorForest WarriorForest Warrior is a straight-to-video 1996 American action film starring Chuck Norris. The film was directed by Chuck Norris's brother Aaron Norris.- Plot summary :...
(1996) - Whoops ApocalypseWhoops ApocalypseWhoops Apocalypse is a six-part 1982 television sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 movie from ITC Entertainment, with almost completely different characters and plot, although one or two...
(1986) - BeerBeer (film)Beer, also known as The Selling of America, is a 1985 comedy film produced by Orion Pictures that satirizes the advertising industry, specifically the TV commercial industry.-Plot:...
(1985) - S.O.B.S.O.B.S.O.B. is a 1981 American film written and directed by Blake Edwards starring Richard Mulligan and Julie Andrews. Also appearing are Robert Preston, Robert Vaughn, Larry Hagman, Shelley Winters, Loretta Swit, Robert Webber and, in his last movie appearance, William Holden.S.O.B. was originally...
(1981) - Race with the DevilRace with the DevilRace with the Devil is a 1975 occult thriller and action film starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and Oates would star in together...
(1975) - Freebie and the BeanFreebie and The BeanFreebie and The Bean is a 1974 action-comedy film about two San Francisco police detectives who have one goal in life, bringing down a local hijacking boss. The picture, a precursor to the buddy cop film genre popularized a decade later, stars James Caan, Alan Arkin, Loretta Swit and Valerie...
(1974) - Stand Up and Be Counted (1972)
- The Best Christmas Pageant EverThe Best Christmas Pageant EverThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a book written by Barbara Robinson in 1972. It tells the story of six delinquent children surnamed Herdman. They go to church for the first time after being told that the church offers snacks...
(1980) - A Killer Among FriendsA Killer Among FriendsA Killer Among Friends is a 1992 made-for-television movie that aired on CBS on December 8, 1992. Based on a true story, the film stars Patty Duke as a mother grieving for her murdered daughter and sets out to find the killer....
(1992)
Personal life
Swit married actor Dennis HolahanDennis Holahan
Dennis Holahan is an American actor appearing in film and television. Holahan is best known for appearing in the crime film Scarface as Jerry the Banker...
in 1983 and divorced him in 1995. Holahan played Per Johannsen, a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is a form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Most needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas...
(A Needlepoint Scrapbook). Swit is a very strong advocate for animals and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
, donating much of her time to animal-related causes.
In her 1986 book A Needlepoint Scrapbook, she declares that "We are Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licensor Namco as an official title...
fanatics in our house." She owns a Ms. Pac-Man machine. The book also includes a Ms. Pac-Man needlepoint design.
Awards and honors
- In 1991, she won the Sarah Siddons AwardSarah Siddons AwardThe Sarah Siddons Society is an American non-profit organization founded in 1952 by prominent Chicago theatre patrons with the goal of promoting excellence in the theatre. The Society presents the Sarah Siddons Award annually to an actor for an outstanding performance in a Chicago theatre production...
for her work in Chicago theatreChicago theatreChicago theatre refers not only to theatre performed in Chicago, Illinois but also to the movement in that town that saw a number of small, meagerly-funded companies grow to institutions of national and international significance. Chicago had long been a popular destination for tours sent out from...
. - Swit received a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 1989.