Richard Belzer, comedian who played Det. John Munch of ‘Homicide’ and ‘SVU’ has died aged 78

Actor Richard Belzer has died at the age of 78. (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

Actor Henry Winkler is among those paying tribute to actor and comedian Richard Belzer, who has reportedly died at the age of 78 Saturday night live Star Laraine Newman was the first to break the news of Belzer’s death, calling him “one of the funniest people ever.”

Winkler, who was Belzer’s cousin, reposted Newman’s post, adding, “Rest in peace Richard.”

Writer Bill Scheft narrates The Hollywood Reporter that his long-time friend died early Sunday at his home in Bozouls, south-west France. “He had a lot of health issues and his last words were ‘F*** you, motherf*****’,” Scheft told the outlet.

The popular actor, who started out on the standup circuit, found a mainstream audience with his roles on NBC’s Murder: Street Life And Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, who becomes instantly identifiable with his character, police detective John Munch. Like his on-screen alter ego, Belzer was fascinated by conspiracy theories and wrote four books — two of them New York Times Bestsellers – on what he saw as “controversial cover-ups”.

Taking to social media, friends and fans were quick to celebrate the actor’s life. CSR Star Mariska Hargitay said she would miss Belzer’s “unique light and your unique take on this strange world.”

Christopher Meloni who portrayed Det. Elliot Stabler to Belzer CSRShe posted a few throwback photos in honor of Belzer. “Goodbye, mon ami. Love you,” he captioned one that showed him planting a kiss on Belzer’s cheek while Hargitay watched on in the background. Another showed Hargitay feeding Belzer an apple on set.

Jon Stewart called Belzer “a master” of stand-up comedy.

Marc Maron described the comic as “one of the greats”.

“A true original,” said Patton Oswalt of Belzer.

In her tribute, Newman – mother of Chop Actress Hannah Einbinder – recalled that Belzer was one of her “first friends” when she arrived in New York. She described him as “a master of crowd work”. When someone speculated that news of Belzer’s death was part of a hoax, Newman said answered“I wish it was a joke.”

The story goes on

CSR Showrunner Warren Leight spoke about how much he loved working with Belzer, sharing that the actor was “surprisingly nice.”

Jeffrey Ross called Belzer “the coolest cat in the room.”

Ellen Barkin, Billy Crystal and Richard Lewis were also among those who shared their tributes.

Universal Television and NBC also issued a statement regarding Belzer’s death. “Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Det. John Munch — whether on killing or Law and order: SVU– over four decades will never forget how much he inhabited this beloved character to make it his own,” it reads.

“Richard Belzer’s Detective John Munch is one of television’s iconic figures.” law & order said creator Dick Wolf in a statement diversity. “I first worked with Richard on the Law & Order/Murder Crossover and loved the character so much I said to Tom [Fontana] that I wanted to make him one of the original characters CSR. The rest is history. Richard brought humor and joy to all of our lives, was the consummate professional and we will all miss him dearly.”

In 2013 it was announced that Belzer would be leaving the legendary crime series after 15 seasons. he proceeded to return to CSR In 2016, he brought back his beloved character for a guest appearance. Belzer’s death also follows his onscreen partner Ice-T, who was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony Friday attended by Wolf and Hargitay.

After retiring from CSR, Belzer moved to southern France. He married his third wife, former actress Harlee McBride, in 1985 and had two stepdaughters.

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