BELOVED Emmy award-winning actress and star of M*A*S*H, Loretta Swit, has died at the age of 87.
Swit became a household name as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the long-running sitcom for over a decade.
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Swit was found dead inside her apartment in New York City at around 10am on Friday morning by her maid, according to the actress’ publicist, Harlan Boll.
Her cause of death is yet to be confirmed, but Boll says cops believe she died from natural causes.
Swit was a 10-time Emmy nominee who ended up winning the prestigious TV award twice.
Both wins came during her 11-year stint on M*A*S*H where she featured in 240 episodes.
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Born in New Jersey to Polish parents, Swit first performed on stage at the age of seven.
Her breakthrough year in the acting world came in 1970 when she landed three roles in popular shows Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible and Mannix.
Swit also appeared in four episodes of Hawaii Five-O in numerous roles.
During the early 70s, Swit also started to act in films such as Race with the Devil and Deadhead Miles.
In 1972, Swit shot to fame as she started her career on M*A*S*H.
She featured in almost every episode of the show which went on to win 64 awards during its time on air.
Just before the new millennium, Swit took a break from acting.
But in 2019 – after a 21-year absence – she returned to the movie screen to star in the religious film Play the Flute.
She was also a trained singer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Swit was once married to actor and M*A*S*H co-star Dennis Holahan but the pair divorced after 12 years together.
After retiring from the screen for a second time, Swit went on to become a key animal activist, author, painter and ran her own line of jewellery.
Just last month, fellow M*A*S*H star Patrick Adiarte also died after a 70-year career.
The Philippines-born star was also a huge hit on Broadway as he appeared in The King and I and Flower Drum Song before his passing at the age of 82.
He played Ho-Jon in M*A*S*H, an orphaned Korean houseboy who helped Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre throughout much of the first season.
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