![]() He played the character first on NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street in 1993 and reprised it in the Law & Order parent series. Moreover, the character of Detective John Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit made Belzer most famous. Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional, and we will all miss him very much.” I first worked with Richard on the Law & Order/ Homicide crossover and loved the character so much, I told Tom (Fontana) that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on SVU. Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of Law & Order: SVU, declared in a statement: “Richard Belzer’s detective John Munch is one of television’s iconic characters. On another note, some well-known acquaintances of Belzer expressed their sorrow for him after hearing of his passing. Belzer filed a lawsuit, and the parties later reached an amicable agreement. He made fun of another incident on The Richard Belzer Show where famous guest Hulk Hogan choked the presenter, causing him to pass out and hit his head on the stage during the same special. According to Scheft, “His last words were, ‘F- you, motherf-er.'” In addition, Belzer died “peacefully with family at his side” at his house in Bozouls, southwest France, according to Scheft.įurthermore, testicular cancer, which Belzer narrowly survived in 1983, served as the inspiration for his 1997 HBO comedy spectacular Another Lone Nut. Bill Scheft, a former writer for The Late Show with David Letterman, confirmed the death to PEOPLE. The matter was settled out of court, and the contemporary New York Times write-up about the case is well worth a read (an actual quote from Hulk Hogan’s lawyer: “I object to bringing Hitler into this.”) Later on, Belzer joked about what happened in his 1997 HBO special Another Lone Nut, during which he also pokes fun at his testicular cancer diagnosis.Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actor, comedian, and author Richard Belzer has passed away at 78. T to remark, “He’s alright, he’s just sleeping.” Belzer ended up suing Hulk Hogan for $5 million. In 1985, Hulk Hogan appeared on Belzer’s cable talk show Hot Properties and put the comic in a front chin lock, causing him to pass out and fellow guest Mr. Though he achieved success as a television actor, Belzer treated everything as fodder for his comedy. Thanks to Belzer, we now know that Scully and Mulder could have theoretically had a beer with McNulty. ![]() The iconic Munch, who Belzer characterized as “Lenny Bruce with a badge,” originally appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street, later going on to be in Law & Order (original flavor), The X-Files, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Arrested Development, The Wire, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!-and that’s not even an exhaustive list. (or Sgt., depending on the show) John Munch, the king of the crossover. Ultimately, though, Belzer is best known as Det. He was the warm-up act for Saturday Night Live back in the 1970s and appeared on the show itself four times. He was 78.īorn on Augin Bridgeport, Connecticut, Belzer initially found success as a stand-up comic. His friend, comedy writer Bill Scheft, told The Hollywood Reporter that Belzer was suffering from ongoing health issues. Comedian and prolific television actor Richard Belzer died at his home in Bozouls, France on Sunday, February 19th.
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