Editing Loretta Swit (section)

===''M*A*S*H''===
[[File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG|thumb|250px|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' (1974); clockwise from left: [[Larry Linville]], Swit, [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[McLean Stevenson]], and [[Alan Alda]].]]
[[File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG|thumb|250px|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' (1977); back row, L-R: [[William Christopher]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[David Ogden Stiers]], and [[Jamie Farr]]. Front: Swit, [[Harry Morgan]], [[Alan Alda]], and [[Mike Farrell]].]]
Starting in 1972, Swit played the extremely capable head nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the television series ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', a comedy set in a US [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]] during the [[Korean War]]. Swit inherited the star-making role from actress [[Sally Kellerman]], who had portrayed Houlihan in the feature film. In the first few seasons, her character was single and blindly patriotic, and she had no friends among the camp surgeons and nurses, with the notable exception of her married lover, Major Frank Burns, portrayed by [[Larry Linville]]. Over time, her character was considerably softened. She married a [[lieutenant colonel]] but divorced soon after. She became good friends with her fellow officers, and her attitude towards the Koreans in and around the camp became more enlightened. The change reflected that of the series in general, from absurdist dark humor to mature comedy-drama. Swit was one of only four cast members to stay for all 11 seasons of the show, from 1972 to 1983 (the others are [[Alan Alda]], [[Jamie Farr]], and [[William Christopher]]).

Swit 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 256 episodes. Swit received two [[Emmy]] Awards for her work on ''M*A*S*H''.

Her favorite episodes are "[[M*A*S*H (season 2)#ep38|Hot Lips and Empty Arms]]", "[[Margaret's Engagement]]", and "The Nurses".<ref>M*A*S*H: The Martinis & Medicine Collection – Special Features: Disc 1 – "My Favorite MASH"</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-996586.html |title=RIP Harry Morgan [Archive] |website=The Gear Page |access-date=March 7, 2013}}{{dead link|date=May 2025}}</ref> Swit continues to stay close to Alda, along with his wife, three daughters, and seven grandchildren.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sue |last=Reilly |url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-major-hottie-vol-11-no-10/ |title=Major Hottie |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=March 12, 1979}}</ref>