Det John Munch, RIP. Actor Richard Belzer, a comedian turned critically acclaimed TV actor, has died at the age of 78. He lived for a while in the south of France.
Belzer gained popularity as Detective John Munch, first on Street Homicide and then on Law & Order SVU. He played the role for a total of 15 years.
I know Richard from Bridgeport, Connecticut. He’s lively and charming, and is known for walking around with his pup. When he comes to Michael’s restaurant or Elaine’s restaurant, the pup is spread out with a blanket and a bowl of water under the table.
Former SNL player Laraine Newman announced his passing on Twitter. She wrote: “Sad to hear the news of Richard Belzer’s passing. I loved the man so much. He was one of my earliest friends when I came to New York to film SNL. We used to Goes to Sheepshead Cove every week for lobster dinners. One of the funniest people ever. Master of crowd work. RIP love.”
Last Thursday, Monk was mentioned as his longtime partner Finn on actor Ice T’s “SVU.” I wrote this article on Friday. Monk has returned to Baltimore, the hometown of “The Homicide,” opened a bar and is happily married, Fern said. The producers must have known Belzer was sick and gave him a proper goodbye.
Richard Belzer will be greatly missed.
