‘Law & Order: SVU’ Richard Belzer, John Munch, Dead At 78
Tragic breaking news for Law & Order: SVU fans as Richard Belzer a.k.a. John Munch has been confirmed dead at the age of 78. In the past hour, multiple media outlets have confirmed the beloved actor and comedian passed away on Sunday at his home located in southwest France. Have any details about his cause of death been revealed yet? Plus, let’s take a closer look at his career as an actor. Scroll down for the details.
Law & Order: SVU Richard Belzer a.k.a. John Munch dead at 78
Original Saturday Night Live cast member, Laraine Newman, who had the pleasure of working alongside Richard Belzer through the 70s and 80s is being credited as one of the first credible sources to confirm his passing via social media.
Laraine noted she was devastated to learn of his passing as she loved him dearly and considered him to be a very good friend.
I’m so sad to hear of Richard Belzer’s passing. 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. RIP dearest.”
I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing. 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. RIP dearest. pic.twitter.com/u23co0JPA2
— Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) February 19, 2023
Unfortunately, the details of his cause of death have not been made public just yet.
Former co-stars and celebrity friends react to the news
According to his IMDb profile, he had 79 acting credits to his name. His most notable character, however, was Detective John Munch. He played the role of John for 326 episodes of Law & Order: SVU. He also played the same role during brief appearances in several other shows as well. Many celebrities who have had the pleasure of working alongside Richard Belzer have taken to social media to react to this heartbreaking news.
This included his SVU co-star Chris Meloni. Chris took to Twitter shortly after the news broke and shared a photo of his friend and former co-star kissing him on the cheek as he told him goodbye.
Good bye mon ami. I love you.#TheBelz pic.twitter.com/CPJIyNDxYk
— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) February 19, 2023
Mariska Hargitay, who also had the pleasure of working alongside him for years on Law & Order: SVU took to social media to react to the tragic news. She noted that she would miss his “unique light” and was honored she had the opportunity to work alongside him.
View this post on Instagram
Rest in peace, Richard Belzer.
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