Loretta Swit Is Loving A Life Of Advocacy & Spending Time With Her ‘M*A*S*H’ Family In Her 80s

Nov 09, 2022

Even decades after the show went off the air, “M*A*S*H” has continued to resonate with fans – and pick up new ones – due to its stellar writing, enduring relevance and, most of all, a charismatic cast whose camaraderie and hijinks almost make you wish you could be there with them. Among the stars of the hit dramedy series was Loretta Swit, who played the vivacious and high-spirited US Army nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan.

Based on the critically acclaimed Robert Altman film of the same name released in 1970, “M*A*S*H” ran for 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983. It made household names of all its top cast members, including Alan Alda, who played the roguishly handsome, war-weary yet endearing prankster Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Wayne Rogers as Hawkeye’s loyal sidekick Captain "Trapper" John Francis Xavier McIntyre, and Gary Burghoff as the sweet and resourceful Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly, among others.

However, Swit remained the only female cast member to play a leading role throughout the show’s run, playing the perpetual foil to Hawkeye and Trapper’s antics. Early in the show, Houlihan appeared as a comedic stereotype of a humorless, lovesick nurse focused on getting hitched. But as the women’s liberation movement picked up speed in the 1970s, Swit became more vocal to the show’s producers about giving her character more depth — and they listened. Swit credited a lot of her burgeoning social awareness at the time to none other than her castmate Alda. 

She would later also attribute Alda with helping her come to terms with the criticism she faced being a single woman in her 30s. Read on to find out more about Swit’s refusal to give in to social pressures about family and her progression into the world of activism.

Swit constantly describes her “M*A*S*H” cast members as being like family to her. In an interview with People in 1979, she sang Alda’s praises, as she said: “I think of Alan as a teacher. He is so involved in women’s lib and has helped me to have confidence in myself. He is a gentle, kind man and I owe a lot of my transformation into a liberated person to him.” 

Because she was single in her 30s, speculation about marriage with the men she was dating at the time was rife. 

“I’m not interested in being married,” she said. “I have a career and friends and things I care about doing. I don’t want a lot of other demands. And, thanks to Alan, who has deep insight about women, I don’t feel guilty anymore about not wanting a family. My parents and friends are my family.”

It wasn’t until she was 42 years old that she tied the knot with actor Dennis Holahan. However, they divorced 12 years later in 1995. Swit has never remarried and remained hush-hush about the divorce, and said, “I know some wonderful married couples, but it takes two very special people to make that happen.”

Now in her 80s, Swit has found solace among her closest friends. 

“Alan Alda is a dear friend, nothing like the cynical, bitter Hawkeye. Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter) was adorable, and we loved him terribly,” she told Express, and added, “Mike Farrell (Captain BJ Hunnicutt) was like my big brother, and Jamie Farr (Corporal Klinger) is like family, I would spend Christmas with him. Gary Burghoff (Radar) is a great friend.” 

“It is a real family to me. When Wayne Rogers (Trapper) died recently I was crippled. It was a terrible loss. These people are my life’s treasures,” she added.

Swit has also moved on to bigger and better things in life that give her fulfillment and joy. Topmost of these have been her rising activism for issues close to her heart — army servicemen and veterans, as well as animal rights. 

Swit has campaigned for recognition of US prisoners of war, narrating a documentary “Never The Same,” about World War 2’s Pacific theatre POWs, to honor their legacy. After the devastating 9/11 attack, Swit was compelled to dedicate her time to the servicemen on hand at Ground Zero, which she told Fox News left her “faith intact and invulnerable.” She elaborated:

“I’ll never forget those people — ever. I saw how we pulled together into one strong, resilient family. I remember a newspaper headline in Paris read ‘Today We Are All Americans.’ Well today, we are all family.”

When the pandemic hit, Swit was also on hand to contribute as much as she could. “I have been networking. I have been shooting PSAs on my iPhone for New York City — the city I love,” she told Fox News, and added, “The volunteers, caregivers and first responders who are the front of the trenches — they are our heartbeat. Our lifeline.” 

An animal lover, the vegan actress is also a fervent advocate for animal rights, launching the SwitHeart Animal Alliance, which collaborates with NGOs to end cruelty against domestic, farm, exotic, wild and native animals. 

As for how Swit finds the energy to keep up with all her advocacy work, she told Express bluntly, “Not having grandchildren helps.” Determined not to slow down, she said: “People say I look great, but I don’t think about the passage of time, just what I’m doing with it. I take life one day at a time and live each day as if it is my last.”

What do you think of the way Swit has embraced advocacy in lieu of family life? Are you a fan of her work? Let us know and be sure to pass this along to friends and family.