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M*A*S*H's Loretta Swit thought laughter and comedy were hard to come by
Swit still kept a positive attitude even when things looked negative.
Loretta Swit was best known for her role as Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the 1972 series M*A*S*H. She was the no-nonsense nurse who felt her fair share of love both on-screen and off. Fans especially loved the role in the later seasons of the series.
With all the love she felt from fans across the country, Swit still found it hard to stay happy, even with all her success in the series.
"I love comedy but I'm probably closer to tragedy—closer to tears than I am to laughing," Swit said in a 1975 interview with Chronicle Tribune. "I think most people are like that. It's always easier to talk about the terrible things that happened to us. Comedy and laughter are hard to come by."
Before her time on M*A*S*H, Swit was known for more serious roles. M*A*S*H was one of the first semi-comedic roles she had ever taken. Despite her experience in drama, she felt that comedy was more difficult because of the timing involved.
It’s easier to cry than to make someone laugh so hard they cry.
"M*A*S*H isn't just a bunch of funny lines," Swit said. "It's like doing a perfect little play every week."
Although she sometimes had trouble with humor in the series, she always tried to find the bright side of things in real life.
At the time of the interview, the series was entering its fourth season on air without two major characters, McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers. Swit was sad about their departure but looked on the bright side.
"The storyline can only improve with change," Swit said. "Our situation lends itself to new people. In a combat hospital, people would be constantly transferred in and out."
In the fourth season, M*A*S*H was moved from its original time slot to Friday nights, opposite NBC's strong Friday night lineup. It was a race to see which show could come out on top of the ratings. But once again, Swit looked on the bright side—one of the biggest things M*A*S*H taught her.
"Every time we get snug and comfortable, they move us," Swit said. "I don't know why they do it. The only thing you can do is take a positive attitude—like you do the weather!"
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