Actor/comedian Richard Belzer, best known for his portrayal of Detective John Munch on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU as well as in guest appearances in several other series, passed away this morning at his home in France. The news was broken by his old friend Laraine Newman of Saturday Night Live fame. The two knew each other while Belzer worked as an off-air warmup comedian during SNL's early days. She did not elaborate on the cause of death. Belzer was 78.
Originally a standup comic, the thin, wiry Belzer was an unlikely candidate as a TV cop. But Belzer's world weary cynicism, propensity towards conspiracy theories and one-liners won audiences over first on Homicide: Life on the Street and then more notably on Law & Order: SVU. Detective Munch would appear in eight other TV series including Law & Order, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, The Wire, The X-Files, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, The Beat and Jimmy Kimmel! Live. Belzer also voiced Detective Munch in animated form on American Dad. Belzer portrayed Detective Munch in form or another for nearly a quarter century before retiring from acting in 2016.
Sometimes it was hard to know where Belzer began and where Detective Munch ended as for a time, he would regularly appear on Alex Jones' radio show promoting conspiracy theories and declaring Jones as his "brother". Belzer even went as a far as to claim the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing was a "false flag" operation. Oof!!!
In the grand scheme of things, however, Belzer brought the world more joy than pain and more laughter than tears. R.I.P.
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