Richard Jay Belzer, an American actor, stand-up comedian, and author, passed away on February 19, 2023, at the age of 78. He was best known for his role as Detective John Munch in the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Belzer portrayed the character for 23 years, from 1993 until retiring in 2016.

Born on August 4, 1944, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Belzer came from a Jewish family. He attended Dean College but was expelled. Belzer began his career as a stand-up comedian in New York City, working at Pips, The Improv, and Catch a Rising Star. He also appeared on the National Lampoon Radio Hour and co-hosted Brink & Belzer on 660AM WNBC radio in New York City. Belzer made several guest appearances on the popular television show Saturday Night Live, and he was also the audience warm-up comedian for the show.

Belzer was a prolific actor, having appeared in films such as Fame, CafĂ© Flesh, Night Shift, and Scarface, and he had cameo roles in music videos, including the Mike + The Mechanics song “Taken In” and the Pat Benatar song “Le Bel Age”. In A Very Brady Sequel, he played an LAPD detective. Belzer was also a regular guest on The Howard Stern Show.

In the 1990s, Belzer became a fixture on television, playing Inspector William Henderson in several episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He followed that up with starring roles in the Baltimore-based Homicide: Life on the Street and the New York City-based Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portraying police detective John Munch in both series. Belzer played Munch in episodes on seven other series and in a sketch on one talk show, making Munch the only fictional character to appear on eleven different television shows played by a single actor.

Belzer was not only an actor, but also an author, having written several books, including the non-fiction UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Believe and the crime novel I Am Not a Cop!.

Belzer will be remembered for his talent, wit, and charm, and his work will continue to inspire and entertain audiences for generations to come. He will be missed by many, and our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.