Loretta Swit Net Worth

What was Loretta Swit's Net Worth?

Loretta Swit was an American actress who had a net worth of $4 million at the time of her death. Loretta Swit was best known for playing Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the CBS television series "M*A*S*H." On stage, she acted in such productions as "The Balcony," "Any Wednesday," "Same Time, Next Year," and "Mame." Beyond acting, Swit was a regular celebrity guest on the game shows "Pyramid" and "Match Game" in the 1970s. She died on May 30, 2025, at the age of 87.

Early Life and Education

Loretta Swit was born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey to Nellie and Lester. She is of Polish ancestry and had an older brother named Robert. As an adolescent, Swit went to Pope Pius XII High School, where she acted in theatrical productions, co-captained the women's basketball team, and did cheerleading. After graduating in 1955, she attended Katharine Gibbs School in Montclair. Swit graduated from that institution in 1957.

Career Beginnings

Following her college graduation, Swit held various clerical jobs. Among them, she worked as a stenographer, as a personal secretary to writer Elsa Maxwell, and as a secretary to the ambassador from Ghana to the United Nations. Swit also worked at the American Rocket Society while she was learning to dance from Rockette Elizabeth Parent-Barber. It was also during this time she took drama lessons with acting coach Gene Frankel.

Television Career 

Loretta Swit moved to Hollywood in 1969. She made her television debut that year in an episode of "Hawaii Five-O," and appeared on the show three more times over the subsequent years. Swit went on to have guest roles in episodes of "Mission: Impossible," "Mannix," "Gunsmoke," "Cade's County," "Bonanza," and "Young Dr. Kildare," among other shows.

Loretta had her breakthrough in 1972 when she began playing Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the CBS series "M*A*S*H," based on the film of the same name. Swit inherited the role of the lusty army nurse from Sally Kellerman, who had originated the character in the film. "M*A*S*H" was an enormous hit, running for 11 seasons until 1983. Notably, Swit was one of only four cast members to appear on the show throughout its entire run. For her work, she earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations, winning two Emmys in total.

The series finale of "MAS*H" aired in 1983 and became the most-watched television broadcast in American history at the time, drawing over 105 million viewers. Swit's enduring presence across all 11 seasons helped solidify her place in television history.

Swit made many other appearances on television during the 11-year run of "M*A*S*H." In the 70s, she appeared in episodes of "Love, American Style," "Ironside," "Petrocelli," "Good Heavens," and "The Love Boat." Swit was also a regular celebrity guest on the game shows "Pyramid" and "Match Game." Additionally, she appeared in several television films, including "The Last Day," "The Hostage Heart," and "Mirror, Mirror." Swit continued acting in television films in the 80s, with credits such as "First Affair," "Miracle at Moreaux," "Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story," and "14 Going on 30." She also hosted and narrated the 1987 PBS Christmas special "A Christmas Calendar." In the 90s, Swit starred in the television films "Hell Hath No Fury" and "A Killer Among Friends," and appeared in episodes of the series "Murder, She Wrote," "Burke's Law," and "Diagnosis: Murder."

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Film Career

Swit had her first role on the big screen in the 1972 comedy "Stand Up and Be Counted," starring Jacqueline Bisset and Stella Stevens. She followed that with a small role in the road comedy "Deadhead Miles," starring Alan Arkin. Swit had a much bigger role in the 1974 buddy cop action comedy "Freebie and the Bean," also starring Arkin. She went on to star alongside Peter Fonda and Warren Oates in the 1975 action horror film "Race with the Devil." After a break from film, Swit returned in Blake Edwards's 1981 black comedy "S.O.B." She didn't act much on film after that, with her handful of credits including "Beer," "Whoops Apocalypse," and "Forest Warrior."

Stage Career

Early in her stage acting career, Swit appeared in an Actor's Playhouse production of "An Enemy of the People" and a Circle in the Square production of "The Balcony." In 1967, she toured with the national company of "Any Wednesday." Swit also appeared opposite Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine in a run of "The Odd Couple" in Los Angeles. Back in New York in the 70s, she acted on Broadway in the romantic comedy play "Same Time, Next Year" and the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." Swit subsequently went to Las Vegas to appear alongside Susan Hayward in the musical "Mame."

In the 90s, Swit began starring in the one-woman play "Shirley Valentine"; she continued to perform the play in various places through the 2010s. Among her other credits, Swit returned to "Mame," this time as the title character, for the North Carolina Theatre's production of the musical in late 2003. Later, she starred in the world premiere of Mark Miller's play "Amorous Crossings" in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2017, Swit acted in "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" in Buffalo, New York.

Personal Life & Death

Swit married attorney and actor Dennis Holahan in 1983. The pair divorced in 1995. Swit was a passionate advocate for animal rights and a lifelong supporter of animal welfare organizations. In 2017, she published the book "SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit," showcasing her paintings and philanthropic efforts, with proceeds benefiting various animal charities. Swit received the Woman of the Year Award from the Animal Protection Institute and was honored with a Betty White Award for animal advocacy.

Loreta died on May 30, 2025, at the age of 87.

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