Richard Belzer

Actor Richard Belzer, best known for his role on the beloved crime procedural "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," died at the age of 78 on Sunday, ...

One of the funniest people ever." and "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe." So sad he’s passed away," Crystal wrote. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL," Newman said. Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional, and we will all miss him very much." He also co-wrote "How to Be a Stand-Up Comic," I will miss you, your unique light, and your singular take on this strange world," she said. I can hear them laughing already." It was the first time he would appear as John Munch, a detective who would soon become synonymous with him. "I loved this guy so much. "Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Det. Belzer, who was in more than 300 episodes, left in season 15, with his character retiring from the New York Police Department.

Richard Belzer, comedian known for "Saturday Night Live" and actor in "Law & Order" franchise shows, has died at age 78.

](https://twitter.com/warrenleightTV/status/1627348519211216899)I loved writing for Munch, and I loved being with Belz," Light tweeted. Godspeed, Belz…" In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show “Hot Properties” to perform a chin-lock on him. In addition to his work as a comedian, Belzer played the role of Detective John Munch for 23 years. "We sensed this would be his parting scene. [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/Chris_Meloni/status/1627384295005339649)kissing the late star on the cheek. He also posted a photo of [Mariska Hargitay feeding Belzer an apple](https://twitter.com/Chris_Meloni/status/1627384361694765062). Belzer never auditioned for the role of Detective John Munch. "One of the funniest people ever. [announced his death on Twitter](https://twitter.com/larainenewman/status/1627327574572662786). " [I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing](https://twitter.com/larainenewman/status/1627327574572662786)," Newman wrote. Scheft, a writer who had been working on a documentary about Belzer, told The Associated Press there was no known cause of death, but that Belzer had been dealing with circulatory and respiratory issues.

Richard Belzer, the comedian and actor best known for playing the acerbic Detective John Munch across a number of NBC crime dramas, including "Law & Order: ...

He later worked as the warm-up act for “Saturday Night Live” and appeared in a few sketches in its early seasons. Later film roles came in 1982’s “Night Shift” followed by the Al Pacino-starring “Scarface” one year later. And in the 1990s, he appeared on the superhero shows “The Flash” and “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” Despite his crime-solving career, the Connecticut-born actor’s early focus was on comedy and rooted in New York City. “Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional, and we will all miss him very much.” “Now, everybody moves up one.” Belzer was famed for his role as Detective Munch, first appearing on NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” from 1993 to 1999. I feel blessed to have known you and adored you and worked with you, side by side, for so many years.” “I first worked with Richard on the ‘Law & Order’ / ‘Homicide’ crossover and loved the character so much. They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidence and conspiracy theories, so it’s been a lot of fun for me. His scrawny, wisecracking, glasses-wearing investigator became over time one of the most recognizable cops in TV crime show history. It’s been a dream actually.”

Standup comedian played police role in Homicide: Life on the Streets, Law & Order: SVU and other series.

He later said the SNL creator, Lorne Michaels, reneged on a promise to work him into the show. In 2008, with Michael Ian Black, Belzer published the novel I Am Not a Cop! He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro’s 1974 film The Groove Tube, a satire co-starring Chevy Chase that grew out of the comedy group Channel One. Belzer never auditioned for the role. A dream, really.” So it’s been a lot of fun for me.

Belzer was one of TV's most indelible detectives as John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU.

He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro's 1974 film The Groove Tube, a TV satire co-starring Chevy Chase, a film that grew out of the comedy group Channel One that Belzer was a part of. He later said SNL creator Lorne Michaels reneged on a promise to work him into the show. At Catch a Rising Star, Belzer became a regular. "My kitchen was the toughest room I ever worked," Belzer told People magazine in 1993. In 2008, Belzer published the novel I Am Not a Cop! From that unlikely beginning, Belzer's Munch would become one of television's longest-running characters and a sunglasses-wearing presence on the small screen for more than two decades.

The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star passed on on Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southwest France.

The action caused the comedian to bang his head and he was briefly hospitalised. "He came very close to killing me," Richard told Roy Firestone in 1990. In several episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, he played Inspector William Henderson. And that’s how that happened." We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. "I loved this guy so much.

Belzer, one of the best known cops on television, passed away in the south of France.

"I loved this guy so much," wrote Laraine Newman, a comedian and SNL original cast member, on Twitter. Belzer's former SVU co-star, Mariska Hargitay, wrote on Instagram, "Goodbye my dear, dear friend. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" debuted in 1999, with Belzer's starring role lasting until 2016 — a whopping 326 episodes, according to [Henry Winkler](https://twitter.com/hwinkler4real/status/1627358097760190464) quote tweeted Newman to also memorialize Belzer. The role garnered him a 2008 People's Choice Award for Favorite Scene Stealing Star. He was also featured in early episodes of "Saturday Night Live."

A stand-up comic, he called his hard-boiled character on the long-running TV drama “Lenny Bruce with a badge.”

Mr. Absent fame or fortune, Mr. Belzer came to own two homes in the south of France, and he built a basketball court at one of them. Belzer accused Mr. In 1971, Mr. But on the inside, he was “scared” — 37 years old and still struggling to afford meals. She died of cancer, and Charles died by suicide before Mr. In a 2010 interview with AARP The Magazine, Mr. He served in the army for a little under a year, then received a discharge on psychiatric grounds after repeatedly injuring himself. Scheft, who has been working on a documentary about Mr. The death was confirmed by Bill Scheft, a friend of Mr. He was the kind of cop who made casual references to Friedrich Nietzsche and the novelist Elmore Leonard.

Actor Richard Belzer, who parlayed his stand-up comedy chops into a career playing the iconic role of police detective John Munch in NBC's “Homicide: Life ...

Belzer hosted a late-night cable talk show, “Hot Properties.” In one of the most notorious moments of the show, Hogan placed Mr. He used the settlement to buy his homes in France, Scheft said. “Because of the nature of the victim and the perpetrator, they really find out a lot. In the 1980s, Mr. Belzer decided to try out for a part in an underground theater production advertised in the Village Voice. He took on odd jobs, including a stint as a writer for the Bridgeport Post newspaper. Belzer, born in Bridgeport, Conn., struggled with what he called a “bitter childhood.” His abusive mother died when he was 20, and his father killed himself four years later. “And yet he is not known before that as one of the most influential stand-up comics in the late ’70s. In 1971, Mr. [reported](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/richard-belzer-dead-homicide-law-order-1235329813/) by the Hollywood Reporter, has led to an outpouring of tributes from friends and colleagues in television and comedy who remember Mr. [post](https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2x6wMvOcu/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D) on Instagram that he had first worked with Mr. Belzer’s cousin, wrote “Rest in peace Richard.” Several shared his most famous moments, including the time he was [knocked out](https://twitter.com/TrivWorks/status/1627351566490677248) by wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Actor Richard Belzer, best known for his role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," died at the age of 78 Sunday.

One of the funniest people ever." "I told Tom (Fontana) that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on 'SVU.' The rest is history," Wolf said. and "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe." "Open, warm, acerbic, whip smart, surprisingly kind," Leight tweeted. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL," Newman said. So sad he's passed away," Crystal wrote. He penned two books on his own with Simon & Schuster, "I Am Not A Cop!" Belzer was on more than 300 episodes of the show and left in Season 15, with his character retiring from the New York Police Department. I will miss you, your unique light, and your singular take on this strange world," she said. I can hear them laughing already." "I loved this guy so much. It was the first time he'd appear as John Munch , a detective that would soon become synonymous with Belzer.

Belzer died Sunday at his home in southern France, according to a friend, who said there was no known cause of death but that Belzer had been dealing with ...

In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show “Hot Properties” to perform a chin-lock on him. “Munch was based on a real guy in Baltimore who was a star detective, in a way. That fall, “Law & Order: SVU” premiered, with Belzer starring alongside Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni in a storyline written as though Munch had transferred from Baltimore to New York. “I wanted to make him one of the original characters on ‘SVU.’ The rest is history. He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro’s 1974 film “The Groove Tube,” a TV satire co-starring Chevy Chase, a film that grew out of the comedy group Channel One that Belzer was a part of. As one of the most influential comedians of the ’70s, Belzer was a master of crowd work. In 2008, Belzer published the novel “I Am Not a Cop!” with Michael Ian Black. One of his favorite lines was: “I have a microphone. Before “Saturday Night Live” changed the comedy scene in New York, Belzer performed with John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and others on the National Lampoon Radio Hour. In 1975, he became the warm-up comic for the newly launched “SNL.” While many cast members quickly became famous, Belzer’s roles were mostly smaller cameos. Belzer first played Munch on a 1993 episode of Scheft, a writer who had been working on a documentary about Belzer, said there was no known cause of death, but that Belzer had been dealing with circulatory and respiratory issues.

Richard Belzer, the longtime stand-up comedian who became one of TV's most indelible detectives as John Munch in "Homicide: Life on the Street" and “Law ...

In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show “Hot Properties” to perform a chin-lock on him. “Munch was based on a real guy in Baltimore who was a star detective, in a way. That fall, “Law & Order: SVU” premiered, with Belzer starring alongside Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni in a storyline written as though Munch had transferred from Baltimore to New York. “I wanted to make him one of the original characters on ‘SVU.’ The rest is history. He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro’s 1974 film “The Groove Tube,” a TV satire co-starring Chevy Chase, a film that grew out of the comedy group Channel One that Belzer was a part of. As one of the most influential comedians of the ’70s, Belzer was a master of crowd work. In 2008, Belzer published the novel “I Am Not a Cop!” with Michael Ian Black. In 1975, he became the warm-up comic for the newly launched “SNL.” While many cast members quickly became famous, Belzer’s roles were mostly smaller cameos. One of his favorite lines was: “I have a microphone. Before “Saturday Night Live” changed the comedy scene in New York, Belzer performed with John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and others on the National Lampoon Radio Hour. For more than two decades and across 10 series — even including appearances on “30 Rock” and “Arrested Development” — Belzer played the wise-cracking, acerbic homicide detective prone to conspiracy theories. The actor Henry Winkler, Belzer’s cousin, tweeted, “Rest in peace Richard.”

The actor was a warm-up comedian on 'Saturday Night Live' before appearing as Detective Munch on the police procedural.

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The American actor and comedian Richard Belzer, best known for his role as John Munch in the series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Homicide: Life on ...

The series ran until 1999 and spawned a spin-off movie in 2000. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Our condolences go out to his loved ones as we join them in mourning his loss, but also in celebrating his memory.— 𝐋𝐀𝐖 & 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 (@lawandordertv)

Richard Belzer, the veteran stand-up comedian who became one of TV's most indelible detectives as John Munch in Homicide: Life On The Street and Law ...

In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show Hot Properties to perform a chin-lock on him. “Munch was based on a real guy in Baltimore who was a star detective in a way. “I first worked with Richard on the Law & Order/Homicide crossover and loved the character so much,” Wolf said. As one of the most influential comedians of the ’70s, Belzer was a master of crowd work. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. That autumn, Law & Order: SVU premiered, with Belzer starring alongside Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni in a storyline written as though Munch had transferred from Baltimore to New York. Belzer often played a stand-up comic in film, including in 1980s’ Fame and 1983’s Scarface. One of his favourite lines was: “I have a microphone. He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro’s 1974 film The Groove Tube, a TV satire co-starring Chevy Chase, a film that grew out of the comedy group Channel One, which Belzer was a part of. But Belzer became one of the era’s top stand-ups. He later said SNL creator Lorne Michaels reneged on a promise to work him into the show. From that unlikely beginning, Belzer’s Munch would become one of television’s longest-running characters and a sunglasses-wearing presence on the small screen for more than two decades.

A stand-up comic, he called his hard-boiled character on the long-running TV drama “Lenny Bruce with a badge.”

Mr. Absent fame or fortune, Mr. Belzer came to own two homes in the south of France, and he built a basketball court at one of them. Belzer accused Mr. In 1971, Mr. But on the inside, he was “scared” — 37 years old and still struggling to afford meals. She died of cancer, and Charles died by suicide before Mr. In a 2010 interview with AARP The Magazine, Mr. He served in the army for a little under a year, then received a discharge on psychiatric grounds after repeatedly injuring himself. Scheft, who has been working on a documentary about Mr. The death was confirmed by Bill Scheft, a friend of Mr. He was the kind of cop who made casual references to Friedrich Nietzsche and the novelist Elmore Leonard.

Belzer died on Sunday at his home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, southern France, his friend Bill Scheft said.

In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show Hot Properties to perform a chin-lock on him. “Munch was based on a real guy in Baltimore who was a star detective in a way. “I first worked with Richard on the Law & Order/Homicide crossover and loved the character so much,” Wolf said. As one of the most influential comedians of the ’70s, Belzer was a master of crowd work. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. That autumn, Law & Order: SVU premiered, with Belzer starring alongside Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni in a storyline written as though Munch had transferred from Baltimore to New York. Belzer often played a stand-up comic in film, including in 1980s’ Fame and 1983’s Scarface. One of his favourite lines was: “I have a microphone. He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro’s 1974 film The Groove Tube, a TV satire co-starring Chevy Chase, a film that grew out of the comedy group Channel One, which Belzer was a part of. But Belzer became one of the era’s top stand-ups. He later said SNL creator Lorne Michaels reneged on a promise to work him into the show. From that unlikely beginning, Belzer’s Munch would become one of television’s longest-running characters and a sunglasses-wearing presence on the small screen for more than two decades.

Law & Order SVU star and comedian Richard Belzer died at his home in Bozouls home in France on Sunday (February 19).

The creator of Law & Order SVU, Dick Wolf, also paid tribute to Beltzer in a statement to Variety. The actor played the role of John Munch for 23 years on Homicide: Life on the Streets and Law & Order, before retiring in 2016 aged 71. The news was confirmed by friends and former colleagues on Sunday (February 19).

The comedian and actor was best known for playing Detective John Munch on NBC crime drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit etween 1999 and 2016.

"I first worked with Richard on the 'Law & Order'/ 'Homicide' crossover and loved the character so much. The rest in history. — Wolf Entertainment (@WolfEnt)