Surprising last words of Law and Order star before passing away at 78
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This week, Hollywood mourned the loss of a beloved and resilient actor.
The beloved actor and comedian, best known for his role as the edgy, proud, and oft-sarcastic Detective John Munch on both Homicide: Life on the Street, and Law & Order: SVU, has passed away at age 78 after a quiet battle with multiple health issues.
Bill Scheft, writer and long-time friend of Mr Belzer, shared that the comedian passed early Sunday at his house in Bozouls in southwest France. His cause of death is still unknown.
‘He had lots of health issues,’ Mr Scheft told reporters. Despite that, he left the world on a strong note.
It was reported that his last words were, ‘F**k you, motherf***ker’.
Director and creator of Law & Order: SVU Dick Wolf said: ‘Richard Belzer’s Detective John Munch is one of television’s iconic characters.’
He shared that he first worked with Mr Belzer during a cross-over episode of Law & Order: SVU and Homicide: Life on the Street. Besides those two dramas, Mr Belzer also played the Detective on eight other series, such as The X Files.
‘I loved the character so much that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on “SVU”,’ the director remarked.
‘The rest is history.’
In an interview for the website The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Barry Levinson, executive producer for the show Homicide: Life on the Street, recalled that he was listening to Mr Belzer on The Howard Stern Show and liked him for the role of Detective Munch.
‘We were looking at some other actors, and when I heard him, I said, “Why don’t we find out about Richard Belzer?”,’ Mr Levinson explained.
‘I like the rhythm of the way he talks. And that’s how that happened,’ he shared.
When the show ended, Mr Belzer said he wasn’t ‘quite ready’ to say goodbye just yet.
‘When Homicide was cancelled, I was in France with my wife and she said, “Let’s open a bottle of champagne and toast. You did this character for seven years”,’ he recalled.
That was when Mr Belzer remembered that another actor was leaving Law & Order, so he called his manager and asked him to contact Director Dick Wolf to see if the role of Detective Munch can become a regular on the show.
However, another actor was cast as a replacement. But Mr Wolf told Mr Belzer that he was in the process of developing a spinoff to Law & Order, focusing on a Special Victims Unit – a division that investigates sexual based crimes. Thus, Detective Munch was given a new life in Law & Order: SVU.
Detective Munch became a household name for people who loved watching crime and police dramas on TV. Based on a real-life police officer, Detective Munch was a highly-intelligent and diligent investigator who believed in conspiracy theories, distrusted the system, and pursued justice through a jaded eye.
The character often resorted to dry humour and wisecracks to make a point.
The line ‘I’m a homicide detective. The only time I wonder why is when they tell me the truth,’ was one of his most memorable.
Mr Belzer portrayed John Munch for 23 years – beginning in 1993 and ending in 2016 when he retired from acting.
‘I never asked anyone to be on their show. So, it’s doubly flattering to me to see me depicted in a script and that I’m so recognisable and loveable as the sarcastic Detective and smart-ass,’ Mr Belzer said during an interview in 2008.
‘Much to my delight, because he is a great character for me to play. It’s fun for me. So, I’m not upset about [being] typecast at all.’
TV network NBC and Universal Television also paid tribute to the iconic actor.
‘Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Detective John Munch – whether on Homicide or Law & Order: SVU – over four decades will never forget how much he inhabited that beloved character to make it his own,’ the network stated.
It added that Mr Belzer’s professionalism, talents, and dedication to the craft made him a ‘pillar in the industry’. But it was his humour, compassion, and loving heart that made him ‘family’.
‘Our condolences go out to his loved ones as we join them in mourning his loss, but also in celebrating his memory.’
Mr Belzer is survived by his wife and fellow actor Harlee McBride, and their two children.
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mr Richard Belzer during this difficult time.
Members, are you a fan of Belzer’s work? We’d love to hear any memories you have.
The beloved actor and comedian, best known for his role as the edgy, proud, and oft-sarcastic Detective John Munch on both Homicide: Life on the Street, and Law & Order: SVU, has passed away at age 78 after a quiet battle with multiple health issues.
Bill Scheft, writer and long-time friend of Mr Belzer, shared that the comedian passed early Sunday at his house in Bozouls in southwest France. His cause of death is still unknown.
‘He had lots of health issues,’ Mr Scheft told reporters. Despite that, he left the world on a strong note.
It was reported that his last words were, ‘F**k you, motherf***ker’.
The actor and comedian passed away on Sunday at the age of 78. Credit: Shutterstock
Director and creator of Law & Order: SVU Dick Wolf said: ‘Richard Belzer’s Detective John Munch is one of television’s iconic characters.’
He shared that he first worked with Mr Belzer during a cross-over episode of Law & Order: SVU and Homicide: Life on the Street. Besides those two dramas, Mr Belzer also played the Detective on eight other series, such as The X Files.
‘I loved the character so much that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on “SVU”,’ the director remarked.
‘The rest is history.’
In an interview for the website The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Barry Levinson, executive producer for the show Homicide: Life on the Street, recalled that he was listening to Mr Belzer on The Howard Stern Show and liked him for the role of Detective Munch.
‘We were looking at some other actors, and when I heard him, I said, “Why don’t we find out about Richard Belzer?”,’ Mr Levinson explained.
‘I like the rhythm of the way he talks. And that’s how that happened,’ he shared.
Mr Belzer played the role of Detective Munch for 23 years. Credit: cottonbro studio/Pexels
When the show ended, Mr Belzer said he wasn’t ‘quite ready’ to say goodbye just yet.
‘When Homicide was cancelled, I was in France with my wife and she said, “Let’s open a bottle of champagne and toast. You did this character for seven years”,’ he recalled.
That was when Mr Belzer remembered that another actor was leaving Law & Order, so he called his manager and asked him to contact Director Dick Wolf to see if the role of Detective Munch can become a regular on the show.
However, another actor was cast as a replacement. But Mr Wolf told Mr Belzer that he was in the process of developing a spinoff to Law & Order, focusing on a Special Victims Unit – a division that investigates sexual based crimes. Thus, Detective Munch was given a new life in Law & Order: SVU.
Detective Munch became a household name for people who loved watching crime and police dramas on TV. Based on a real-life police officer, Detective Munch was a highly-intelligent and diligent investigator who believed in conspiracy theories, distrusted the system, and pursued justice through a jaded eye.
The character often resorted to dry humour and wisecracks to make a point.
The line ‘I’m a homicide detective. The only time I wonder why is when they tell me the truth,’ was one of his most memorable.
Mr Belzer was famous for playing witty and edgy Detective John Munch. Credit: Shutterstock
Mr Belzer portrayed John Munch for 23 years – beginning in 1993 and ending in 2016 when he retired from acting.
‘I never asked anyone to be on their show. So, it’s doubly flattering to me to see me depicted in a script and that I’m so recognisable and loveable as the sarcastic Detective and smart-ass,’ Mr Belzer said during an interview in 2008.
‘Much to my delight, because he is a great character for me to play. It’s fun for me. So, I’m not upset about [being] typecast at all.’
TV network NBC and Universal Television also paid tribute to the iconic actor.
‘Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Detective John Munch – whether on Homicide or Law & Order: SVU – over four decades will never forget how much he inhabited that beloved character to make it his own,’ the network stated.
It added that Mr Belzer’s professionalism, talents, and dedication to the craft made him a ‘pillar in the industry’. But it was his humour, compassion, and loving heart that made him ‘family’.
‘Our condolences go out to his loved ones as we join them in mourning his loss, but also in celebrating his memory.’
Mr Belzer is survived by his wife and fellow actor Harlee McBride, and their two children.
Members, are you a fan of Belzer’s work? We’d love to hear any memories you have.
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