Richard Belzer, the longtime slapstick comedian who grew to become one in every of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in Murder: Life on the Road and Legislation & Order: SVU, has died aged 78.
Belzer died on Sunday at his dwelling in Bozouls in southern France, his longtime buddy Invoice Scheft advised The Hollywood Reporter.
Comic Laraine Newman first introduced his demise on Twitter.
The actor Henry Winkler, Belzer’s cousin, wrote “Relaxation in peace Richard”.
For greater than 20 years and throughout 10 collection – together with appearances on 30 Rock and “Arrested Growth – Belzer performed the wise-cracking murder detective liable to conspiracy theories.
Belzer first performed Munch on a 1993 episode of Murder and final performed him in 2016 on Legislation & Order: SVU.
Belzer by no means auditioned for the position.
After listening to him on The Howard Stern Present, govt producer Barry Levinson introduced Belzer in to learn for the half.
“I’d by no means be a detective. But when I had been, that is how I would be,” Belzer as soon as stated.
“They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidence and conspiracy theories.
“So it has been a number of enjoyable for me. A dream, actually.”
From that unlikely starting, Belzer’s Munch would turn out to be one in every of TV’s longest-running characters and a sunglasses-wearing presence on the small display for greater than 20 years.
In 2008, Belzer revealed the novel I Am Not a Cop! with Michael Ian Black.
He additionally helped write a number of books on conspiracy theories, about issues together with President John F Kennedy’s assassination and Malaysia Airways Flight 370.
“He made me chuckle a billion instances,” his longtime buddy and fellow stand-up Richard Lewis stated on Twitter.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Belzer was drawn to comedy, he stated, throughout an abusive childhood by which his mom would beat him and his older brother, Len.
“My kitchen was the hardest room I ever labored,” Belzer advised Folks journal in 1993.
After being expelled from Dean Junior School in Massachusetts, Belzer launched into a lifetime of stand-up in New York in 1972.
At Catch a Rising Star, Belzer grew to become an everyday.
He made his big-screen debut in Ken Shapiro’s 1974 movie The Groove Tube, a TV satire co-starring Chevy Chase, a movie that grew out of the comedy group Channel One which Belzer was part of.
Earlier than Saturday Night time Dwell modified the comedy scene in New York, Belzer carried out with John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Invoice Murray and others on the Nationwide Lampoon Radio Hour.
In 1975, he grew to become the warm-up comedian for the newly launched SNL.
Whereas many forged members shortly grew to become well-known, Belzer’s roles had been largely smaller cameos.
He later stated SNL creator Lorne Michaels reneged on a promise to work him into the present.
