The Tragic Death Of Law & Order Star Richard Belzer

Beloved actor Richard Belzer has reportedly died at age 78, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "He had lots of health issues, and his last words were, 'F*** you, motherf***er,'" writer Bill Scheft, a longtime friend of the actor, confirmed to THR. Although Belzer enjoyed a long career, which dates back to the early '80s, he's best known for his role as Detective John Munch on the long-running crime drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," a job he held for 17 years over 326 episodes. With that said, Belzer also gained recognition for his unique brand of humor and stand-up comic career. 

According to Vulture, Belzer was one of the original "Saturday Night Live" warm-up comics. However, his relationship with "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels wasn't all roses and sunshine. According to Belzer, who spoke with People, Lorne promised him as spot on the cast but later backed out. Despite the possible miscommunication, Belzer's "SNL" stint help serve as a springboard for his career.

Belzer is survived by his wife, Harlee McBride. So far, neither McBride nor other members of Belzer's family have spoken out about his death. However, former "Law & Order: SVU" showrunner Warren Leight paid his respects on Twitter. "Richard Belzer was the first actor to welcome me when I started at SVU. Open, warm, acerbic, whip-smart, surprisingly kind. I loved writing for Munch, and I loved being with Belz. We sensed this would be his parting scene. Godspeed Belz..." Leight wrote.

It's safe to say that Richard Belzer enjoyed a long, decorated career. In addition to his beloved portrayal as Detective Munch on "Law & and Order," and his aforementioned stand-up career, Belzer also dabbled in the literary world.

Throughout his career, Belzer co-authored a series of books about some of the world's most popular conspiracy theories, which have touched on everything from the missing Malaysian 370 disappearance to John F. Kennedy's assassination. "The reason I wrote 'Hit List' is the 50 mysterious deaths of witnesses to the JFK assassination," Belzer shared with Politico in 2013. "We're talking about CIA agents, FBI agents, reporters, people who had foreknowledge or people who spoke too much afterward. And if anyone has any doubt — which I doubt — of a conspiracy, the reasons we did this book is this proves why would they kill all these people if there's no conspiracy?"

Belzer, like his frequent collaborator David Wayne, was a New York Times bestselling author, meaning his knack for conspiracy theories has served him well. But did he actually believe what he wrote about? It appears so. "When I wrote UFOs, JFK, and Elvis, I found from my research that reality is so complicated and funny and unpredictable that you don't need to embellish anything," Belzer shared with Publishers Weekly in 2009. "I tried to report on things that aren't generally known that I found fascinating. To me, virtually everything's a conspiracy until proven otherwise."

According to Richard Belzer himself, booking the role of Detective John Munch came as a happy accident. In an interview with The Boomer Tube, he revealed, "It was a bit of a miracle how I got the part. I didn't audition for it. Barry Levinson heard me on 'The Howard Stern Show' and then brought me in to read for the character." Belzer called the experience magical and noted that the character hit close to home. "They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidents and conspiracy theories so it's been a lot of fun for me," he continued.

There's no doubt that Belzer left a major impact on his performance as Detective John Munch. In a statement (via People), "Law & Order: SVU" creator and executive producer, Dick Wolf shared, "Richard Belzer's detective John Munch is one of television's iconic characters.  Besides being a talented actor, Belzer was also a remarkable individual who uplifted many in his lifetime." As it turned out, Belzer was extremely impressive in the role. 

Wolf said, "I first worked with Richard on the 'Law & Order'/'Homicide' crossover and loved the character so much, I told Tom (Fontana) that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on 'SVU.'" Wolf concluded, "The rest is history. Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional, and we will all miss him very much."

In 1982, Richard Belzer made his debut appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman." After an entrance that involved some fancy footwork, Belzer cracked a string of jokes about Hollywood awards and showed off his impeccable impersonation of Jack Nicholson, acting as if the actor was ordering from Burger King. In Nicholson's distinctive voice and playing off a famous scene from the film "Five Easy Pieces," Belzer said, "I want an omelet, no potatoes, tomatoes instead, and you can hold that Big Whopper between your knees." 

Like many comedians, Belzer found inspiration for his stand-up routines through his personal challenges and experiences. According to People, being a survivor of testicular cancer actually gave him some solid material for his 1997 HBO comedy special "Another Lone Nut." During his show, he made a joke about an incident on "The Richard Belzer Show" that involved guest Hulk Hogan. Apparently, Hogan put Belzer in a chokehold, and he passed out as a result. Belzer ended up suing the wrestler, and thy settled the matter out of court.

Following Belzer's death, industry friends are reflecting on the star's comedic talent. "Saturday Night Live" alum Laraine Newman tweeted, "I loved this guy so much. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. "