Actor Richard Belzer, greatest identified for his position on the beloved crime procedural "Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit," died on the age of 78 on Sunday, NBC confirmed in an announcement Sunday.
Belzer began out as a standup comic who finally discovered his house on the silver display, starring in a number of tv sequence through the years.
Common Tv and NBC issued a joint assertion Sunday issuing condolences upon information of Benson's demise.
"Anybody who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer painting Det. John Munch — whether or not on ‘Murder’ or ‘Legislation & Order: SVU’ – over 4 many years will always remember how a lot he inhabited that beloved character to make it his personal," the assertion mentioned.
"His professionalism, skills and dedication to the craft made him a pillar within the trade, nevertheless it was his humor, compassion and loving coronary heart that made him household."
Representatives for Belzer didn't instantly reply to requests for remark from NBC Information.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Belzer grew to become a warm-up comic for “Saturday Evening Dwell” in 1975 earlier than finally visitor starring in a couple of episodes, in response to his IMDB biography.
He made a sequence of appearances on varied movies and tv reveals from then on, finally touchdown 10 episodes on the 1990 sequence "The Flash," his longest tv gig at that time.
However then in 1993, Belzer landed a daily position on "Murder: Life on the Avenue," a serial drama concerning the murder division in Baltimore. It was the primary time he'd seem as John Munch , a detective that will quickly turn into synonymous with Belzer.
He appeared as John Munch in different reveals, akin to "The X-Information" and "The Wire," nevertheless it was his position on NBC's "Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit" that made the actor a family staple for generations.
Munch's obsession with conspiracy theories and dry humor made him a fan-favorite.
Belzer was on greater than 300 episodes of the present and left in Season 15, together with his character retiring from the New York Police Division. His final look was in 2016, making a short return to help then-lieutenant Olivia Benson with a case.
Mariska Hargitay, who portrays Benson, mentioned on her Instagram Sunday that she cherished Belzer, "now and ceaselessly."
"Goodbye my expensive, expensive buddy. I'll miss you, your distinctive mild, and your singular tackle this unusual world," she mentioned. "I really feel blessed to have identified you and adored you and labored with you, facet by facet, for therefore a few years. How fortunate the angels are to have you ever. I can hear them laughing already."
Dick Wolf, the creator behind the "Legislation & Order" franchise, referred to as Detective John Munch "one in every of tv's iconic characters" in an announcement posted to Wolf Leisure's Instagram web page.
"I advised Tom (Fontana) that I needed to make him one of many authentic characters on 'SVU.' The remaining is historical past," Wolf mentioned. "Richard introduced humor and pleasure into all our lives, was the consummate skilled, and we are going to all miss him very a lot."
Along with his comedy and appearing, Belzer was a printed creator. He penned two books on his personal with Simon & Schuster, "I Am Not A Cop!" and "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Do not Must Be Loopy to Consider." He additionally co-authored "Easy methods to Be a Stand-Up Comedian," in response to his creator web page.
Laraine Newman, an authentic solid member of "Saturday Evening Dwell," tweeted a tribute to Belzer, recounting discovered recollections of their early friendship.
"I cherished this man a lot. He was one in every of my first buddies once I bought to New York to do SNL," Newman mentioned. "We used to exit to dinner each week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of many funniest individuals ever."
Invoice Crystal additionally tweeted about Belzer, calling him "merely hilarious."
"A genius at dealing with a crowd. So unhappy he’s handed away," Crystal wrote.
Comic Marc Maron referred to as Belzer an authentic,
"One of many greats, babe. I cherished the man," Maron mentioned.
Warren Leight, former "SVU" author and showrunner, mentioned Belzer was the primary actor to welcome him when he joined the present.
"Open, heat, acerbic, whip good, surprisingly form," Leight tweeted. "I cherished writing for Munch, and I cherished being with Belz."
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