Richard Belzer, who is the acclaimed American actor who played the television character of NYPD detective, John Munch. Richard Belzer sadly passed away today Sunday, February 19. He starred as Munch in both NBC police drama series ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’, and ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’.
Richard Belzer Cause of Death
Belzer died early Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southwest France, writer Bill Scheft, a longtime friend of the actor, told The Hollywood Reporter. “He had lots of health issues, and his last words were, ‘Fuck you, motherfucker,’” Scheft said.
His death, at the age of 78, was not confirmed by family members or his representatives, but high-profile entertainment figures paid tribute to Belzer on social media. These included Julie Martin, one of the SVU producers, comedian Marc Maron, and Jon Stewart. It was also reported by the celebrity news outlet TMZ.
Who was Richard Belzer?
Belzer had a long and diverse career in the entertainment industry but will be best remembered for the detective that he played on television for 23 years, from 1993 to 2016. He retired from acting in 2016 at the age of 71.
Early in his career, he worked as a stand-up comedian, including a stint as the warm-up on the legendary Saturday Night Live. Belzer also made three guest appearances on the iconic show between 1975 and 1980. He also had small parts in the films Fame, Cafe Flesh, Night Shift, and Scarface.
How did Richard Belzer Die?
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.
“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”, posted the original ‘SNL’ cast member, Laraine Newman, on Twitter.
