“We just liked being together,” said Swit.
We all have that one co-worker who holds a special place in our hearts. That’s one of the best relationships there is, the work bestie. No matter what your job is, it can be a slog to get through. Even a dream job can eventually become rote, and mechanical with each day’s repeated effort. But there’s that one person who has your back and helps you laugh your way through the day. The work friend is there in the trenches with you and can relate to your struggle more than the folks at home.
By all accounts, there was a lot of love on the M*A*S*H set. Seldom is heard a discouraging word when it comes to the people that made M*A*S*H. Every interview of the 4077th’s long-term players reveals the warmth and support shared by the cast and crew. That genial nature is clear onscreen as well. That level of chemistry is nearly impossible to fake.
Loretta Swit became a pop culture icon for her time portraying Margaret Houlihan on M*A*S*H. The show’s single bastion of femininity was a window into the particularities of a woman at war. Houlihan’s arc is among the show’s most satisfying, and Swit played it masterfully.
In a 2017 interview with the Marion, North Carolina McDowell News, Swit went into detail about some on-set favorites. Specifically, she revealed who was the most popular among her castmates. Of everybody who acted on M*A*S*H, she said Harry Morgan (Col. Potter) was the most beloved.
“Everyone loved Harry,” Swit recalled. “He wasn’t just a colleague, but a leader, a father figure, and a friend to us all. And as hard as the job was, if Harry was in a scene, you knew it would be fun. Even after working all week together, Harry, his wife, and I would have lunch on weekends because we just liked being together.”
Swit also revealed what she did to immortalize that special time in her life, and the special bond she shared with her castmates.
“I did drawings of the guys and presented each with one as a Christmas gift,” she said. “Art is just something I did and probably took it for granted for a long time. While I never took any lessons, others have given me advice and helped me to grow as an artist over the years.”
