This group starred in most of the episodes of M*A*S*H; played the rememberable “NORM” on the TV show Cheers; was one of the engineers responsible for saving the astronauts on Apollo 13; and played memorable characters such as Chucky, Howard the Duck, and the dinosaur Tasha in Land of the Lost.
Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit, born Loretta Jane Szwed on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, was an American actress whose legacy was defined by her iconic role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the groundbreaking television series M*A*S*H. Raised in a Polish-American Catholic household, she developed an early interest in the arts and graduated from Pope Pius XII High School before attending the Katharine Gibbs School and later studying acting under Gene Frankel at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Movies
- 1972 Stand Up and Be Counted
- 1973 Deadhead Miles
- 1974 Policewomen
- 1974 Freebie and the Bean
- 1975 Race with the Devil
- 1981 S.O.B.
- 1985 Beer
- 1986 Whoops Apocalypse
- 1996 Forest Warrior
- 1998 Beach Movie
- 2019 Play the Flute
Swit began her career in theater and quickly gained notice for her charisma and versatility, appearing in off-Broadway productions and touring nationally in stage plays such as Any Wednesday. Her breakthrough came in 1972 when she joined the cast of M*A*S*H, where she remained for all 11 seasons, earning ten Emmy nominations and winning twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1980 and 1982.
TV
- 1969–1972 Hawaii Five-O (4 episodes)
- 1970 Mission: Impossible
- 1970 Mannix (2 episodes)
- 1970 Gunsmoke (3 episodes)
- 1971 Cade’s County
- 1971 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
- 1972 Bonanza
- 1972 Young Dr. Kildare
- 1972–1983 M*A*S*H (245 episodes)
- 1972 Love, American Style
- 1973 Ironside
- 1973 Match Game
- 1973 Love, American Style
- 1973–1979 Pyramid (90 episodes)
- 1973–1979 Match Game (51 episodes)
- 1973–1979 The Mike Douglas Show (6 episodes)
- 1974 Petrocelli
- 1974 The Merv Griffin Show
- 1975 The Last Day
- 1975 The Bobby Vinton Show
- 1975 Celebrity Bowling (2 episodes)
- 1976 Good Heavens
- 1977–1978 The Love Boat (2 episodes)
- 1979 Supertrain
- 1979–1980 Password Plus (4 episodes)
- 1980 The Muppet Show
- 1984 The Love Boat
- 1985 Sam
- 1988 Dolly
- 1989 ABC Afterschool Special
- 1992 Batman: The Animated Series (voice)
- 1992 The Big Battalions (TV miniseries)
- 1994 Murder, She Wrote
- 1995 Burke’s Law
- 1997 Cow and Chicken (voice)
- 1998 Diagnosis: Murder
- 1999–2004 Hollywood Squares (6 episodes)
- 2002 MAS*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion
Swit transformed what had initially been a caricature into a layered and groundbreaking portrayal of a strong, competent woman in uniform, a performance that paralleled shifting attitudes toward gender roles in American culture. Outside of M*A*S*H, she remained active in both television and stage, guest-starring in popular shows, starring in TV movies,
and earning acclaim for her work in plays such as Shirley Valentine and Same Time, Next Year. Deeply devoted to animal welfare, Swit was a vegetarian-turned-vegan who became a prominent animal rights activist, founding the SwitHeart Animal Alliance and publishing
SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit in 2017. She married actor Dennis Holahan in 1983, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1995; she never remarried and had no children. Loretta Swit died peacefully of natural causes at her home in New York City on Friday, May 30, 2025, at the age of 87, and is survived by extended family and countless admirers of her work, both on screen and in activism.
Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it. She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here.
Alan Alda
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt Jr., born on October 17, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, was an American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom Cheers. Raised in a large Irish-German Catholic family, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Jesuit boarding school in Wisconsin.
Movies
- 1978 My Bodyguard
- 1978 Somewhere In Time
- 1982 Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again
- 1982 Airplane II: The Sequel
- 1984 Young Lust
- 1984 Dreamscape
- 1984 Thief of Hearts
- 1984 No Small Affair
- 1985 Fletch
- 1985 House
- 1986 Gung Ho
- 1988 Plain Clothes
- 1988 Never Say Die
- 1990 Masters of Menace
- 1991 Guilty by Suspicion
- 1992 Forever Young
- 1994 Hostage for a Day
- 1994 The Little Rascals
- 1995 Man of the House
- 1996 Space Truckers
- 1997 The Lovemaster
- 1997 Spice World
- 1998 Anarchy TV
- 1998 Dennis the Menace Strikes Again
- 1998 Rupert’s Land
- 1999 Outside Providence
- 2000 Garage: A Rock Saga
- 2000 Lakeboat
- 2000 The Prime Gig
- 2000 Wild About Harry
- 2000 Odessa or Bust
- 2002 Teddy Bears’ Picnic
- 2003 My Dinner with Jimi
- 2003 King of the Ants
- 2005 Edmond
- 2005 Kids in America
- 2005 The Life Coach
- 2007 LA Blues
- 2007 Saturday Morning
- 2008 Clean Break
- 2008 Bryan Loves You
- 2008 Unnatural Causes
- 2009 Opposite Day
- 2009 Santa Buddies
- 2016 Wake Up America!
- 2017 Sandy Wexler
- 2018 The Independents
- 2018 Dr. Sugar
- 2018 The Deadbeat
- 2019 Grand-Daddy Day Care
- 2019 The Climb
- 2019 I Lost My Body (voice)
- 2019 Bliss
- 2019 VFW
- 2020 Stealing a Survivor
- 2021 Americanish
- 2022 Christmas with the Campbells
He enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, from which he was expelled during his junior year. He later graduated from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. Wendt’s acting career began in the mid-1970s with Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe, where he met his future wife, actress Bernadette Birkett.
TV
- 1981 Hart to Hart
- 1981 Soap Counterman
- 1981 Taxi The Exterminator
- 1982 Alice
- 1982 Making the Grade (Main role)
- 1982 MAS*H
- 1982–1993 Cheers (275 episodes)
- 1983 Garfield on the Town (voice)
- 1984 Garfield in the Rough (voice)
- 1985 The Romance of Betty Boop (voice)
- 1985 St. Elsewhere
- 1986 The Twilight Zone
- 1986–2003 Saturday Night Live (11 episodes)
- 1987 The Tortellis
- 1988 Mickey’s 60th Birthday
- 1989 Day by Day
- 1989 The Magical World of Disney
- 1990 The Earth Day Special
- 1990 Wings
- 1991 Tales from the Crypt
- 1992 Roc
- 1992 The Edge
- 1992 Seinfeld
- 1993 Bob
- 1993 The Building
- 1994 The Larry Sanders Show
- 1994 The Simpsons (voice)
- 1995 The George Wendt Show (Main role)
- 1995 Columbo
- 1995 Bye Bye Birdie
- 1996 Spin City
- 1997 Alien Avengers II
- 1997 The Naked Truth (3 episodes)
- 1997 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (3 episodes)
- 2000 The Pooch and the Pauper
- 2000 Madigan Men (4 episodes)
- 2000 The List
- 2000 Robertson’s Greatest Hits
- 2001–2002 Sabrina the Teenage Witch (6 episodes)
- 2002 Becker
- 2002 Frasier
- 2004 House of Dreams
- 2004 Rock Me Baby
- 2004 George Lopez (2 episodes)
- 2006 Modern Men (6 episodes)
- 2006 Masters of Horror
- 2007 Imperfect Union
- 2007 Larry the Cable Guy’s Christmas Spectacular
- 2007 The Green Green Grass
- 2007–2009 Family Guy (2 episodes)
- 2008 A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
- 2010 Cubed
- 2010 Less Than Kind
- 2010 Ghost Whisperer
- 2011 Hot in Cleveland
- 2011 Harry’s Law
- 2012 Kickin’ It
- 2012 Merry In-Laws
- 2013 Portlandia
- 2014 Kirstie Duke
- 2014 Verdene and Gleneda
- 2014 Franklin & Bash
- 2015 Comedy Bang! Bang!
- 2015 Clipped Buzzy (Main role)
- 2016 Childrens Hospital
- 2016 Bill Nye Saves the World (2 episodes)
- 2016 Fresh Off the Boat
- 2018–2022 Fancy Nancy (voice 11 episodes)
- 2019 Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell
- 2019 Peyton’s Places
- 2019 The Goldbergs
- 2023 The Masked Singer
They married in 1978 and had three children: Hilary, Joe, and Daniel. Wendt’s breakthrough came in 1982 when he was cast as Norm Peterson on Cheers, a role he played in all 275 episodes until the show’s conclusion in 1993. His performance earned him six consecutive
Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Beyond Cheers, Wendt appeared in various television shows and films, including Fletch, The Little Rascals, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and he also performed on Broadway, notably as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray in 2008.
Known for his humility and comedic timing, Wendt was a beloved figure in the entertainment industry. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the age of 76, in Los Angeles, California. He is survived by his wife, Bernadette, their three children, and his nephew, actor Jason Sudeikis, who paid tribute to Wendt’s influence on his own career.
George Wendt was the sweetest, kindest man I ever met. It was impossible not to like him. As Carla, I was often standing next to him, as Norm always took the same seat at the end of the bar, which made it easy to grab him and beat the crap out of him at least once a week. I loved doing it and he loved pretending it didn’t hurt. What a guy!
Rhea Perlman
Robert “Ed” Smylie
Robert Edwin “Ed” Smylie, born on December 25, 1929, in Lincoln County, Mississippi, was a pioneering NASA engineer best known for his critical role in saving the Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970. Raised on his grandfather’s farm, he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State University in the early 1950s. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he began his engineering career at Douglas Aircraft Company, contributing to the development of the DC-8 jetliner.
Inspired by President Kennedy’s call to land a man on the Moon, Smylie joined NASA in 1962, where he specialized in life support and environmental control systems for the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle programs. During the Apollo 13 crisis, when an oxygen tank explosion jeopardized the mission, Smylie led the team that devised an improvised carbon dioxide filter
using materials like duct tape and plastic bags, enabling the safe return of astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise. This ingenuity earned the mission operations team the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with President Nixon specifically commending Smylie and his deputy, James Correale. After retiring from NASA in 1983,
Smylie held executive positions at RCA, the Mitre Corporation, and Grumman Corporation. He passed away peacefully on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 95, in Crossville, Tennessee, due to complications from dementia. He is survived by his children Steve Smylie, Susan Smylie, and Lisa Willis; stepchildren Natalie Hall and Andrew Hall; 12 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. His first marriage to June Reeves ended in divorce, and his second wife, Carolyn Hall, predeceased him in 2024.
I guess that was our 15 minutes of fame. If you read the book and look at the movie [“Apollo 13”], it sounds like I did all of that. I went back and looked at the list of people that I identified were involved, and there was probably 60 people involved in one way or another.
Ed Smylie
Ed Gale
Ed Gale, born Edward Gale on August 23, 1963, in Plainwell, Michigan, was an American actor and stunt performer renowned for his physical portrayals of iconic characters in cult films. Born with dwarfism, standing at 3 feet 4 inches tall, he graduated from Plainwell High School before moving to California at age 20 with just $41 to pursue an acting career. His breakthrough came in 1986 when he donned the suit of the titular character in Howard the Duck.
Movies
- 1986 Howard the Duck
- 1987 Spaceballs
- 1988 Child’s Play
- 1989 Chopper Chicks in Zombietown
- 1990 Child’s Play 2
- 1991 Dolly Dearest
- 1991 Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
- 1994 The Jungle Book
- 1998 Bride of Chucky Chucky
- 2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou?
- 2000 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
- 2002 Tiptoesy
- 2004 The Polar Express (Voice and motion capture)
- 2005 L.A. Dicks
- 2009 The Gold & the Beautiful
- 2010 Speed-Dating
- 2011 The Amateur Monster Movie (Voice)
- 2011 365 Days
- 2013 Mikeyboy
- 2020 Pandemonic
- 2022 In Search of Tomorrow
This was followed by his role as the physical performer for Chucky in the original Child’s Play (1988), Child’s Play 2 (1990), and Bride of Chucky (1998), while Brad Dourif provided the voice. Gale’s extensive filmography included over 130 credits across film, television, and commercials.
TV
- 1988 Friday the 13th: The Series
- 1990 The Dreamer of Oz
- 1991–1992 Land of the Lost (26 episodes)
- 1993 Lifepod
- 1994 Baywatch
- 1994–1998 Weird Science (3 episodes)
- 1995 Pig Sty
- 1996 The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas
- 1996 Townies
- 1997 Family Matters
- 1998 3rd Rock from the Sun
- 1998 Maggie
- 1999 Norm
- 1999 Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- 2000 The Christmas Secret
- 2001 Just Shoot Me!
- 2001 Grounded for Life
- 2001 Call Me Claus
- 2002 Santa Jr.
- 2002 The Hughleys
- 2002 First Monday
- 2002 The District
- 2007 My Name Is Earl
- 2009 Bones
- 2012 Emerald Acres
- 2014 Deadly Attraction
Some notable appearances were in Spaceballs, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Tiptoes, and TV shows like Baywatch, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and My Name Is Earl. He was also known for playing the dinosaur Tasha in the 1991 series Land of the Lost. In April 2023, Gale was involved in a
controversy when he admitted to inappropriate online communications with individuals he believed to be minors, leading to an LAPD investigation; he later pled guilty to one charge in 2024 and registered as a sex offender. Despite this, his family remembered him for his vibrant personality and contributions to film.
Gale passed away in hospice care in Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the age of 61. He is survived by his niece, Kayse Gale, who paid tribute to him as a “fun uncle” with a love for storytelling and the entertainment industry.
Ed was a pleasure to work with on Child’s Play and played an important role in helping me sell the action of Chucky and thus a reason to fear Chucky. Ed was always ready to go when I called action.
Tom Holland – Child’s Play Director
Videos
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “Loretta Swit” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Swit
- People “Loretta Swit, Emmy-Winning MAS*H Actress Known for Playing ‘Hot Lips’, Dies at 87″ https://people.com/loretta-swit-dead-mash-actress-was-87-7569131
- Wikipedia “George Wendt” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wendt
- People “George Wendt, Cheers Star, Dies at 76″ https://people.com/george-wendt-cheers-star-dead-at-76-8610776
- Wikipedia “Ed Smylie” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Smylie
- Collect Space “NASA engineer who led carbon dioxide fix on Apollo 13 dies at 95” http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-042725a-apollo-13-engineer-ed-smylie-carbon-dioxide-scrubber-mailbox-obituary.html
- Wikipedia “Ed Gale” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gale
- People “Ed Gale, Actor Who Played Chucky in Child’s Play Films, Dies at 61” https://people.com/ed-gale-chucky-childs-play-dies-at-61-11743278
