Legendary M*A*S*H star Loretta Swit has died at the age of 87. 

Swit was known for playing the iconic character Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on the hit series. 

The actress died Friday at her home in New York City, her publicist Harlan Boll confirmed. 

A police report states that Swit passed of suspected natural causes soon after midnight on Friday, her publicist shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

The actress received acclaim for her role on the series, and received two Emmys for her portrayal. 

She received a total of 10 Emmy nominations for her role in M*A*S*H and was part of the cast for the majority of the show’s 11 seasons, appearing in 240 out of the 251 episodes.

In the image above, Loretta Swit is seen with her fellow M*A*S*H cast members: Mike Farrell, William Christopher, Harry Morgan, Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, and David Ogden Stiers.

Swit was known for playing the iconic character Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on the hit series

M*A*S*H was based on Robert Altman’s 1970 film and was situated in the backdrop of the Korean War, depicting the lives of a group of US doctors and nurses working at a fictional army hospital.

It’s series finale – of which Swit appeared in – was watched by 105 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched narrative TV episodes of all time. 

The original Robert Altman film was a dark comedy that starred Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce, Elliot Gould as Trapper John McIntyre and Sally Kellerman as Hot Lips Houlihan, based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.

For the TV series, Alan Alda stepped into the Hawkeye role, with Wayne Rogers playing Trapper John and Gary Burghoff (Radar O’Reilly) becoming the only cast member from the movie to reprise that role for the TV series.

The half-hour comedy series was known for its ability to blend both comedy and drama, though Swit previously said she believes it was the humor that made the show stand out.

‘Initially when we started out, everyone wondered how we were going to be able to pull off a comedy about the war, but we did. The secret behind M*A*S*H’s success,’ she told First for Women last year.

Swit added, ‘Laughter and humor were our defense against standing in blood and working on bodies that were young enough to be in school.’

She admitted there was nothing inherently funny about war, but added, ‘you needed the funniest people in the world to make this believable and this cast exceeded that and more.’

Swit won two Emmys for playing Hot Lips, and had nothing but praise for the lauded series finale.

Swit pictured in 2019 visiting Hallmark’s Home & Family in Universal City, California

Swit won two Emmys for playing Hot Lips

‘The last program, titled Goodbye, was the jewel of the crown, and M*A*S*H was a very important piece of Americana, so it was an honor to be a part of that magic,’ she said.

M*A*S*H won 14 Emmy Awards, earned 109 nominations, plus the series took home a Peabody Award in 1975. 

Swit was born on November 4, 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York

Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Swit honed her craft as a student at New York’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts, according to THR. She performed in repertory.

Following a move to Los Angeles in 1970, she built up her acting resume with roles in on Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible, and eventually M*A*S*H.

Over the show’s 11 seasons, she appeared in a majority of the episodes that included the widely-watched season finale.

While she may be best known for her role of Hot Lips, she wasn’t fond of her character’s nickname.  

‘I understand nicknames come with great love and admiration for a character,’ she told Fox News in 2023. ‘But it was an insult as far as I was concerned. She wasn’t just a piece of anatomy. She was a major in the United States Army, and she should not be disrespected.’

‘This was a woman who had rank, who worked hard and wanted to be good at her job,’ she said. ‘She was an inspiration. I was proud of her. I was proud to represent all the servicewomen out there. I wanted to make a change.’