Loretta Swit - Biography

Last Editor: jalexander				Loretta Swit Biography -   Name : Loretta Swit Profession : Actress Height : 5' 6" (1.68 m) Personal quotes : "Hot Lips changed a lot in eleven years. Initially Margaret Houlihan behaved as though a man were the only thing that could complete her life, and Spouse : Dennis Holahan (21 December 1983 - 1995) (divorced)

Loretta Swit Trivia -

Wanted to leave "M*A*S*H" (1972) after the 8th season, but FOX wouldn't let her out of her contract. She has said that she wanted to star in the series "Cagney & Lacey" (1982), after she made the pilot movie, but her MASH commitment prevented her from doing so. Is Polish Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989. Wrote a book on needlepoint. Wears a size 7 shoe. During a "M*A*S*H" season hiatus, Loretta starred as Chris Cagney in the pilot episode of "Cagney and Lacey" in 1981. She wanted to leave the show, which was in its ninth season, to star as the police officer when the pilot was picked up. The "M*A*S*H" producers, however, wouldn't let her go. Meg Foster subbed in for Loretta, who in turn was replaced by Sharon Gless. She was the first cast member of "M*A*S*H" to actually visit Korea when she narrated the documentary "Korea, the Forgotten War." Her outspoken stand against the killing of fur-bearing animals for high-fashion wear has been rewarded with acknowledgments from the American Humane Society and the Animal Protection Institute of America. In addition, she teamed with Robert Redford for a PBS special centering on animal species that were threatened with extinction and is an active board member for Actors and Others for Animals, and other similar organizations. Has her own line of jewelry which she has sold at jewelry shows across the nation.

Loretta Swit Detailed Biography -

Loretta Swit (November 4, 1937) was born in Passaic, New Jersey, USA to Polish immigrants. She is an actress. Loretta 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. Starting in 1972, she played the character of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the television series M*A*S*H, until its end in 1983. This was the show that made her a household name. She toured in 1967 with the national touring company "Any Wednesday", starring Gardner McKay. She would continue on as a Pigeon sister opposite Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine in a LA run of "The Odd Couple". From there, she played Agnes Gooch in the Las Vegas version of "Mame" starring Susan Hayward and later Celeste Holm. In 1991 she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre. When she arrived in Hollywood in 1970, she performed in certain shows such as "Gunsmoke", "Hawaii-Five O" and "Mannix". Her star-making role, however, is that of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, inherited from Sally Kellerman. She, besides Alan Alda, Jamie Farr and William Christopher, stayed for all 11 seasons of the show. She and Alan Alda were the only two actors to have been on the Pilot episode and the finale. Among the 251 episodes, she did not appear in 11. She received 2 Emmy Awards for the show. She has also guest starred in shows such as "Hawaii-Five O", "The Love Boat", "Pyramid" and the latest is "Hollywood Squares". In 1981 Swit played the Cagney role in the movie pilot for the television series Cagney & Lacey but was precluded by contractual obligations from continuing the role. She is also believed to be the person who inspired Jim Henson to create Miss Piggy. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989. She married Dennis Holahan in 1983 but divorced him in 1995. She is 5"6 ft (1.68 m) and wears a U.S. size 7 shoe. She has also written a book on needlepoint. She was also the first M*A*S*H star to visit Korea when she narrated the documentary, "Korea, the Forgotten War." She also has her own line of jewelry which is sold at stores across the United States. She is a very strong advocate for animals, donating much of her time to animal related causes. Over the years she has owned horses, dogs and cats. Presently, she owns a cat.