Richard Belzer, Beloved Actor and Comedian Best Known for His Role as Detective John Munch, Passes Away at 78

Actor, comedian and author Richard Belzer, best known for his role as Detective John Munch on NBC’s long-running crime procedural “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” has died at the age of 78.

Belzer’s death was confirmed in a joint statement Sunday from Universal Television and NBC. The statement praised Belzer’s “professionalism, talents and dedication to the craft” and noted that he was a “pillar in the industry.”

Belzer started out as a standup comedian, eventually finding his home on the silver screen. He starred in several television series over the years, including “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” where he played the cynical Detective John Munch for over four decades.

Belzer’s longtime friend Bill Scheft told The Hollywood Reporter that Belzer had been dealing with health issues and his last words were, “Fuck you, motherfucker.” Fellow actress and comedian Laraine Newman, who worked with Belzer at NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” when he was a comic, tweeted her condolences Sunday.

Belzer died early Sunday at his home in southern France. NBC’s statement concluded with a tribute to Belzer, saying, “Whether on ‘Homicide’ or ‘Law & Order: SVU’ – over four decades he will never be forgotten for how much he inhabited that beloved character to make it his own.”