Actor Richard Belzer, who began as a comedian but rose to prominence as a dramatic actor on television, has died at the age of 78. He’d been in the south of France for a long time.
Belzer was a fan favourite as Detective John Munch on “Homicide Life on the Streets” and “Law & Order SVU.” He played the part for a total of 22 years. Munch also appeared on the original “Law & Order” and “Trial by Jury” shows. Belzer played him in 11 different TV shows and six prime time shows, breaking records for popularity and appearances.
Laraine Newman, original player on “SNL,” broke the news of his death on Twitter. She wrote: “I’m so sad to hear of Richard Belzer’s passing. I loved this guy so much. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest.”
Richard was from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and I knew him. He was known for going everywhere with his little dog, acerbic and charming. If he went to Michael’s or Elaine’s, he would be given a spread out blanket and a bowl of water beneath the table.
Belzer grew up in a dysfunctional family. Along the way, he became good friends with Jerry Lewis. This was a frequent topic of conversation for us. Lewis was toast many years ago at the original Friars Club (not the current deteriorated version) in an emotional evening. Throughout the evening, Belzer could be heard saying “Dad” to Lewis. It was very touching, and Lewis appreciated his devotion.
According to my sources, “SVU” frequently asked Belzer to fly in from France for cameo appearances, but he was frail and couldn’t make it. His most recent “SVU” appearance was in 2016, as seen below. Munch was mentioned on “SVU” this week by actor Ice T as Fin, his old partner. On Friday, I wrote about it. Fin stated that Munch had returned to Baltimore, the setting for “Homicide,” opened a bar, and was happily married. The producers must have known Belzer was sick and gave him a fitting send-off.
