A few words about Loretta Swit.
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Under other circumstances, I would have been thrilled with a between seasons-episode, but oh how I wish this one didn’t have to be made…
I just feel heartbroken. I have cried over exactly three celebrities in my days, I cried when Alan Rickman passed away, I cried over Gena Rowlands, and I cried over Loretta Swit.
What a huge loss, and so unexpected. Every time I saw her in a picture, a video, or heard her in an interview, she just oozed life. And seemed to enjoy life so immensely. So of course – what a way to go. To not waste away, but to just stop right in the middle of a step, while still living life to the fullest at a high age. We can all hope to be so lucky one day.
I never had the pleasure of meeting her in real life, but I did have some interactions with her on social media, and also in a couple of DMs, where I got to tell her how much she and her portrayal of Margaret meant to me. She responded in such a sweet, kind way, and I cherish those messages so much. She had this way of making you feel seen as a fan that was truly remarkable. Just getting a notification on Facebook saying “Loretta Swit liked your comment” or “Loretta Swit mentioned you in a comment” always put the biggest smile on my face.
I could write an essay about how much her portrayal of Margaret has meant to me in my life, there is this connection I have to Margaret that I have never had with any other fictional character. When I first started to watch the show as a young girl, I saw Margaret and thought wow. She is so strong and powerful, so assertive and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. All of these wonderful qualities young me lacked, but desperately wanted to have.
Then, when I started to re-watch the show as an adult, I saw Margaret and thought wow. She is so strong and powerful, so assertive and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
But adult me also realized that the thing I love the most about Margaret as a character is her journey, and her struggles, they are just so relatable to me. The way she sucks at dealing with her emotions in healthy ways. The way she hides behind her anger for example. I have done the same in my life, but I did the whole “anger turned inwards”-thing instead, which has been a lot to deal with, so in a way I really wish I could have been as outspoken as Margaret.
I love how Margaret is so often just too much – she is too intense, too loud, too stubborn. She loves with all of her being, she risks her life for others, and she is willing to give up everything she has worked for to protect the people she cares about. She is just unapologetic, and I adore that. As a character she has so many wants and needs, and she goes about getting what she wants and needs in the worst possible ways a lot of the time, which is incredibly frustrating, but there isn’t a second where I don’t enjoy being on the journey with her.
And Loretta herself was of course such a big part of Margaret’s journey, we know how much she fought to make Margaret something more than a stereotype – written in a rather sexist way. She fought to make Margaret a real person, with hopes and dreams, with an agenda of her own and to not just react to the men around her.
And she brought such grace and passion to the character that I honestly don’t think any other actress could have pulled off. She brought this rawness to Margaret, and a naked vulnerability that is just stunning. Even at Margaret’s worst, Loretta makes us understand that there is more going on with her than what meets the eye. In Margaret’s own eyes, you can so very often see this sad little girl who wants nothing more than to be loved, to be respected for who she is as a person and not just for her appearance, and for her father to tell her she’s good enough.
Loretta was one of the most beautiful women I know, and I don’t mean that just in terms of physical beuaty, but in this vulnerability and honesty she brought to every character she played. It is a talent many actors lack.
Loretta also had this way of creating magic with every single guy playing a love interest to Margaret. Whether it was Larry Linville, Alan Alda, Joshua Bryant or some guest actor playing a general Margaret flirts with in one scene, she makes the connection between them sparkle, and you can just feel the attraction with every breath Margaret takes. To be honest – I feel that several of the guys on the show failed to establish this connection with the women playing love interests, but Loretta always succeeded.
And the way she could so seamlessly switch between drama and comedy is another thing she mastered perfectly, she just understood every nuance of what she was asked to do, and always delivered with impeccable timing. I mean, is there a more perfectly delivered line than “Who was that?”
I could go on forever, and I know I will for sure be writing/talking a lot more about her during Season 8 – she has so many wonderful moments coming up.
I haven’t been able to watch Race with the Devil, I hope I can find a way to watch it soon. I can also truly recommend “The Execution” where she plays a Holocaust survivor, and “Games Mother Never Taught You” where she plays a woman trying to make her way in a very male dominated workplace. Sounds familiar, right?
Also – go you to youtube and search for “Loretta Swit As Time Goes By”, and you will find a wonderful video of her singing that beautiful song. She has such a lovely singing voice, so expressive, and in that video there is such a softness to it, so very unlike anything we hear from Margaret.
Thank you Rob, for making this episode (even though I’m heartbroken over the reason for it) and for telling us about your encounters with Loretta. Getting her lunch is just such a wonderful story, how surreal and special. I am insanely jealous.
In one of the DMs I wrote her, I told her how much I enjoyed her book with her artwork. I told her that the animals she painted were so full of life and movement, that it felt like they had just stopped by the page for a second before continuing on with their day. And now she has continued on too, and the world is an emptier place because of it.
Here’s to you, Loretta!
Lovely tribute to a lovely lady. It’s always an amazing experience when you meet your heroes and they end up being great people.
While I don’t know much about Loretta Swit herself, I do believe that after 11 seasons playing Margaret O’Houlihan we got to know something of the actress herself. One of the things that made O’Houlihan one of the greatest TV characters of all time was her evolution from villain to hero. A “redemption arc” is one of the most interesting storylines an audience c as n witness, and O’Houlihan’s was one of the best. It happened naturally, over time. We could believe it, because while she became a better person, she still stayed true to who she was. A strong woman.
Rest in Peace Loretta Swit.
I headed over here, thinking that you might post something, and you did not disappoint. Thanks for retelling your awesome NYC encounter with Loretta. What a great story. I’m so happy that you had that experience with such a bright light as her. Rest easy, Loretta. Thanks for sharing your incredible life with us.
Great tribute Rob. Your Loretta Swit story is one of my favorite celebrity encounter stories I have ever heard, and I never get tired of hearing about it. I’m so glad you got to meet and interact with her several times, and of course have her here as a guest for posterity. She was a true, singular talent. No one else quite like her. I can’t imagine anyone else playing that evolving role of Margaret like her. I really do need to watch Race with the Devil. It also co-stars Dark Shadows’ Lara Parker, who passed away in recent years as well. It’s definitely on top of my “to watch” list.
Really sad knowing she’s gone, but also the response I’ve seen from fans has been wonderful. Margaret’s character meant so much to so many people, and a big part of that was the humanity beneath the strict military Major, which Loretta herself pushed for. There are so many wonderful moments throughout the series, both comedic and dramatic, and she played them all so well.
I unfortunately don’t have any real world stories like you do. I did follow her on Twitter, and had a few small interactions there. But mostly, I loved listening to interviews, and seeing comments she made about MASH online, knowing that the show and Margaret’s character stayed in her heart this whole time. And she always seems like a nice and thoughtful person from anything I’ve seen or heard about her.
I always thought that as the series went on, the role of Margaret went from a one-note gag who went by the name of Hot Lips to a character who probably had more in common with the actress playing her than not. Margaret, by way of Loretta, was a complex, multi-faceted, three dimensional woman and M*A*S*H needed that character to stand on her own fully & completely. Without that transition, the series would not have gone to the heights that it did.
Rest in peace, Loretta.
Iron Guts, this was a very heartfelt episode. I could tell how you were feeling through your voice.
You asked about our take on Loretta Swit. She cared about animals and veterans a great deal. She donated money to an organization called Paws for Purple Hearts. I received my service dog through them. So, Loretta indirectly helped me.
As for my view of Margaret, she had a great story arc. Margaret went from being the female sidekick to MAJ Burns to her own developed person. I’m happy that Loretta had support behind the camera to make Margaret a human being instead of being a scroned lackey.
Thank you so much Rob for doing this episode in Loretta’s memory. I was so sad and heartbroken when I heard that she had passed away I actually cried. Loretta was simply the best. She turned Hotlips into Margaret. It was wonderful to see the evolution of her character throughout the series.
We will miss you and love you always Loretta. Thank you for being Margaret Houihan. Goodbye, Farewell and Amen. Rest in Peace Loretta.
I always love hearing your Loretta’s salad story. It’s so sweet and lovely, the kind of situation that makes a lasting connection. Thank you for sharing it again.
It helps me get thru the heartbreak that I won’t meet her in person. I was all set to see her at this August’s Big Lick Comic Con in Roanoke, as well as Jamie Farr. I’m absolutely still going, and hope Jamie can still make it. But I’m still a little sad.
If the salad had a hard boiled egg, that’s what I think of as a cobb salad. Because of course, that’s the most important part of this story.
Go in power, Loretta.
Thank you for this lovely tribute, Rob. I am still finding it hard to process that Loretta is no longer with us. It was always a joy to hear being interviewed as she was also so full of life. I will miss her.
Hello. Like so many others, I grieved over the loss of our beloved Loretta Swit. But death awaits us all. Let’s cherish the memories.
Regarding the character Margaret Houlihan. Yes she did evolve as the series moved forward, but I always felt that the producers didn’t capitalize on the episode The Nurses. For all Margaret’s talk about wanting camaraderie with her nurses, we never saw it on display. Margaret continued to either be alone or hanging out with the doctors.
Anyway Rest in peace Ms Swit
She had a long and productive life so I’m not particularly saddened by her passing but it is unfortunate to see another cast member leave us. Just four left from the main cast plus Jeff Maxwell and G.W. Bailey. It seems to have been sudden as the MASH Matters episode recorded just before her death has Jeff saying they would be at a signing together soon. So it is good she didn’t suffer much if that is the case.
I enjoyed hearing Rob’s salad story again.
She certainly played an iconic character that truly grew as the show went on. I know she is fictional but I would hope she found happiness after the war. Sadly, I suspect we would see her in Vietnam 20 years later still alone looking for love.
Hoping for the return of the show soon.