Actress, Loretta Swit played Major Margaret Houlihan for 11 years on the iconic TV series M*A*S*H which aired on CBS from September 17, 1972, to February 28, 1983, leaving a lasting impression in the minds of viewers. However, when the broadcast company was looking for actors to star in the series, it was quite challenging, especially casting for the major characters.
In an interview with Antenna TV, Swit explained how she was able to get the role of “Hot Lips” Houlihan. “There was no script; there was nothing to read. They didn’t test,” she revealed. “So it was just a meet and see how they felt about you.”
Loretta Swit reveals how she got the role
The 85-year-old explained to the Archive of American Television that before her selection for M*A*S*H, she had already made appearances on some CBS shows in the early ’70s which includes Mission: Impossible, Mannix and Gunsmoke. So when it came to filming M*A*S*H the network officials made their decision based on the prior knowledge they had of her and considered her suitable for the role.
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“[CBS] knew about me, therefore when the part came up, they thought about me, because I was physically the right type and they knew my work,” Swit said. “They felt I could handle it and so forth. So I knew I had that boost going in for the role.”
She disclosed that she almost lost the role
However, Swit revealed that when CBS reached out to her, she was to sign a contract with another production company which almost made her lose the role. “I had an offer for a movie, from Universal,” she revealed. “So my agent out of courtesy called them and said she’s no longer available for the dates you gave us for the pilot. And they said, ‘No, no. We want her. Don’t give her away. We decided we’re going with Loretta.”
After a few seasons, she became discontent with how things weren’t developing for “Hot Lips” so she took a short break to play the lead role in Bernard Slade’s Same Time, Next Year on Broadway. Swit was called back on the show and she discussed the development of her character over the next few years with the writers and producers, who agreed with all of her suggestions.
“Remember this about the Korean War: The men were drafted, the women volunteered,” she claimed. “These were amazing women, brave, courageous and I was the head nurse in charge of all these incredible women. That’s what I wanted to be. And little by little we revealed that.”