Richard Belzer, a famous comedian, actor and novelist died on February 19, 2023, at the age of 78. Although the cause of death is still unknown, his friend Bill Scheft said that he suffered from several health problems, including circulatory and lung diseases. The official Facebook page of the NBC show Law & Order, in which Belzer appeared, paid tribute to him by uploading a photo and stated that everyone who watches Homicide or Law & Order: Special Victims Unit knows Belzer’s perfect performance very well. The message then says:
“His skill, ability, and devotion to the trade made him a staple in the business, but it was his humor, compassion, and loving heart that made him family. Our thoughts go out to our loved ones as we mourn his passing while celebrating his memory.”
According to Heavy, Richard was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1983 but survived. According to The Washington Post, Belzer discovered he had cancer while swimming one day. He was 40 years old then. In an interview with The Washington Post, he said that he was looking for a solution for the same. Opoyi reportedly said that the actor had to wear dark glasses as his eyes were sensitive to light. According to an official item on the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago website:
“Richard, by the way, always wears sunglasses—not because he’s fashionable, but because his eyes are very sensitive to light. To be cool, he doesn’t need sunglasses!”
Twitter users paid tribute
Richard Belzer has been recognized for his roles in several films and television series over the years. As news of his death spread, Twitter was flooded with tributes:
Richard Belzer appears as Det. Munch on Homicide, Law & Order, SVU, Trial By Jury, The Wire, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Beat, Arrested Development and The X-Files among others and was the first actor to play the same character on 10 different live-shows action
TORN pic.twitter.com/C3kXGhbq2Z
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) February 19, 2023
As an SVU showrunner it was a sad day #DetectiveMunch is a place of unforgettable character in eternal peace #RichardBelzer 🙏🏽🕊💗 and of course your last words were “F*ck you, motherf@cker” of course they were pic.twitter.com/U1bvw62iRL
— Reena Kanji (@ReenaKanji) February 19, 2023
Richard Belzer appeared in several films and television episodes.
Richard Belzer began his career as a comedian, and he rose to fame after appearing on Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1980. He later entered the film industry in the 1970s, making his debut with the 1974 indie comedy picture The Groove Tube.
Fame, Café Flesh, Night Shift, The Wrong Guys, The Big Picture, The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Puppet Masters, Species II, The Comedian, and many more films followed. Belzer was featured in one episode of the children’s television series Sesame Street and ten episodes of the CBS television series The Flash as Joe Kline. Belzer is best known for playing detective John Munch in 122 episodes of the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street.
He later played the role of John Munch in 325 episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC. He also appeared in Moonlighting, Miami Vice, Tattingers, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The X-Files, Mad About You, and other series.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
