Richard Belzer, the longtime humorist who grew to become considered one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order: SVU,” has died. He was 78.
Belzer died Sunday at his residence in Bozouls in southern France, his longtime pal Bill Scheft instructed The Hollywood Reporter. Comedian Laraine Newman first introduced his dying on Twitter. The actor Henry Winkler, Belzer’s cousin, wrote “Rest in peace Richard.”
For greater than twenty years and throughout 10 collection — together with even appearances on “30 Rock” and “Arrested Development” — Belzer performed the wise-cracking murder detective susceptible to conspiracy theories. Belzer first performed Munch on a 1993 episode of “Homicide” and final performed him in 2016 on “Law & Order: SVU.”
Belzer by no means auditioned for the function. After listening to him on “The Howard Stern Show,” govt producer Barry Levinson introduced Belzer in to learn for the half.
“I would never be a detective. But if I were, that’s how I’d be,” Belzer as soon as stated. “They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidence and conspiracy theories. So it’s been a lot of fun for me. A dream, really.”
