(Jewish Group) Richard Belzer, comedian and Jewish TV cop for all seasons, dies at 78
Richard Belzer, the stand-up comedian who left an indelible mark on television as the character of Det. John Munch, a tough and versatile Jewish cop, has died at the age of 78. His death was first reported on social media by his friend, the actor Laraine Newman, of Saturday Night Live fame.
In the 1970s, Belzer served as the warm-up comedian for SNL, and appeared multiple times on its early seasons in bit parts. He made memorable appearances in films like Fame and Author! Author! In the 1980s. Belzer moved onto a short-lived gig as the host of the cable TV talk show Hot Properties, where he interviewed Leonard Cohen and was knocked unconscious by Hulk Hogan (Belzer sued the wrestler; the parties settled out of court).
But Belzer’s most curious contribution to the culture was what began as a gig on Homicide: Life on the Street, where he played the wisecracking Baltimore Police Department Det. Munch for 122 episodes. Munch was never meant to be limited to one procedural, however, and soon made an appearance in a crossover episode of The X-Files. In a twist, Belzer, who had a reputation for believing conspiracy theories, played a skeptic on the sci-fi show
Munch’s credits are to be envied by most working actors, appearing on The Wire, and Mad About You, before finding his most steady employment attached to the NYPD’s special victim’s unit in Law & Order: SVU for 20 seasons. Single-handedly, Belzer’s Munch created a shared TV universe that includes the Muppets and Arrested Development’s Tobias Fünke.
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In an interesting twist of fate, this week's "L&O: SVU" had his old partner, Tutaolla, played by Ice-T, talking about "Det. Munch", Belzer character from that show.
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