Loretta Swit's Love Interest on 'M*A*S*H' Became Her Real-Life Husband

Loretta Swit not only rose to fame because of the hit TV series "M*A*S*H," but the show was also where she met her husband Dennis Holahan in 1983.                            

The legendary actress played Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on "M*A*S*H," where she met the man who'd end up being her husband. Loretta Swit married actor Dennis Holahan in 1983, and the pair flew to Egypt for their honeymoon. 

They got married in a small church ceremony in the San Fernando Valley in December, and only their close friends and relatives got to witness them exchanging vows. 

HOW THEY MET

They then had a reception at a Beverly Hills restaurant, where their celebrity friends, including co-stars Wayne Rogers, Harry Morgan, and Mike Farrell, attended. After returning from their honeymoon in Egypt, they lived in Hollywood Hills. 

Swit met Holahan when the actor was picked to star as Per Johannsen, a Swedish diplomat who became temporarily associated with Swit's character in an episode of "M*A*S*H," which is one of the highest-rated shows in the history of American television.

SWIT'S PERSONAL LIFE

Unfortunately, in 1995, Swit divorced Holahan. The pair did not have any children together, and in the end, she did not remarry or have any children.

Born in Passaic, New Jersey, the actress studied drama with Gene Frankel in Manhattan, New York City. She acknowledged Frankel as her acting mentor. 

HER RISE TO FAME

In 1969, Swit arrived in Hollywood and performed guest roles in several TV series. She gained widespread recognition in 1972 after starring on "M*A*S*H," a comedy-drama television show set in an American mobile army hospital during the Korean War. Swit said in an interview:

"M*A*S*H is about, I think, the resilience, the courage, and the patriotism. The delicate nature of man. It’s about loyalty."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

It's been decades since "M*A*S*H" went off-air, but up until today, its stars are still remembered by their fans. Harry Morgan, who played Col. Potter, died at age 96 in 2011. 

Jamie Farr, who starred as a cross-dressing soldier, hosted the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic golf tournament for 28 years before handing it over to Marathon Petroleum Corporation in 2013. 

A PLEASANT SURPRISE

Mike Farrell, who starred as B.J. Hunnicutt on the show went on to star in several other shows, notable guests being "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Desperate Housewives." 

David Ogden Stiers, who played the arrogant but charming aristocrat Charles Emerson Winchester III, was nominated for two Emmys for his role. He was also in "Beauty and the Beast," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "Pocahontas." In 2009, he came out, saying he was gay.  

LORETTA'S RECENT LIFE

Nowadays, Swit tries to update her fans as much as possible through social media. However, in 2018, she was interviewed about how she was given the chance to join "M*A*S*H" and how it changed her life. She said: 

"I had no idea how important it would be in my life. And I came home thinking, “That was fun; that was nice. I’d like to work with these people.' And that’s kind of it."

Swit is the only actor to have been in both the pilot episode and finale besides Alan Alda. She showed up in all except 11 of the show's 256 episodes.

For her work on the series, Swit won two Emmy Awards. Altogether, “M*A*S*H” was nominated over 150 times and secured 62 wins.