Actor Richard Belzer passed away on Sunday. He was best known for playing the renowned police investigator John Munch in the “Law & Order” series and NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street.” He was 78. According to his longtime friend William Scheft, Mr. Belzer passed away while at his vacation home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, with his wife, former actress Harlee McBride, and stepchildren. Mr. Belzer experienced circulatory and respiratory health concerns for the last few years of his life, according to Scheft, who was filming a documentary about his career.
An outpouring of tributes from friends and colleagues in television and comedy who remember Mr. Belzer for his role as the beloved Munch as well as a legendary career in stand-up comedy have followed the news of his death, which was originally reported by the Hollywood Reporter. He was referred to as “a virtuoso at manipulating a crowd” by comedian Billy Crystal.
When she appeared as a guest on “SVU,” actress Marlee Matlin called him “one of the sweetest most friendly actors.” Rest in peace, Richard was written by Mr. Belzer’s cousin, the actor Henry Winkler. Many people recalled his most well-known incidents, such as the time wrestler Hulk Hogan knocked him unconscious.
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Scheft said Mr. Belzer drew less attention for his comedic roles than he did as a detective, but that his stand-up had inspired other comedians for decades. “He is known throughout the world as this character, Munch, who was the longest-running character in television when he retired,” Scheft said. “And yet he is not known before that as one of the most influential stand-up comics in the late ’70s. He was legendary.”
In a farewell post on Instagram, Dick Wolf, the show’s creator, recalled his first collaboration with Mr. Belzer on a crossover episode of “Law & Order” and “Homicide,” when he fell in love with the Munch character and wanted to include him in “SVU.”
Wolf wrote, “The rest is history.”
Richard was the epitome of a professional, and we will all greatly miss him, Wolf said. “Richard injected comedy and delight into all of our lives.”
Mr. 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. He took on odd jobs, including a stint as a writer for the Bridgeport Post newspaper.
In 1971, Mr. Belzer decided to try out for a part in an underground theater production advertised in the Village Voice. That role launched his career. He took on other jobs as a stand-up comic, including on “Saturday Night Live” when it was launched in 1975.
Mr. Belzer was the host of the late-night cable chat program “Hot Properties” in the 1980s. Hogan choked Mr. Belzer as part of an out-of-control on-air joke in one of the most infamous episodes of the show. Mr. Belzer was knocked out cold by Hogan, who then threw his lifeless corpse on the ground. He was taken to the hospital, required nine stitches, and filed a lawsuit against the WWE superstar. According to Scheft, he purchased his residences in France with the settlement.
Munch became well-known in 1993 after the Baltimore-based police drama “Homicide” went on television. Munch starred in at least 10 TV shows on five different channels over the course of the following 20 years, frequently sporting colored wireframes and a pessimistic demeanor. He was well known for his interest in conspiracy theories, a characteristic shared by Mr. Belzer, who had published multiple books on topics including UFOs and President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
“Homicide cops are fascinating to me,” he told The Post in 1994. “Because of the nature of the victim and the perpetrator, they really find out a lot. These cops could sit and talk to you about horses’ hooves or ashes or furniture, all kinds of things. It’s that Sherlock Holmesian point of using your intellect and not having to resort to your gun. A lot of guys have probably never drawn their guns, and they are very proud of that. These guys are the chess players.”
Mr. Belzer is survived by McBride, his third wife. A full list of survivors was not immediately available.
