Richard Belzer, ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star, Dies at 78
thewrap.comWarren Leight. “Open, warm, acerbic, whip smart, surprisingly kind. I loved writing for Munch, and I loved being with Belz.”Belzer was best known to fans of the long-running crime drama as NYPD Det.
John Munch, a sardonic investigator whose dry wit was guided by the actor’s years of stand-up experience. While Belzer was best known for playing Munch on “Law & Order: SVU” from 1999 to 2013, he had previously played the character for seven seasons on the NBC drama “Homicide: Life on the Street,” during which Munch was a homicide detective that served as a mentor to his younger partner Det.
Beau Felton, played by Daniel Baldwin. On four occasions during the show’s run, “Homicide” had crossover episodes with “Law & Order,” as the show’s executive producers Tom Fontana and Dick Wolf were close friends.
This allowed Belzer to easily make the jump from “Homicide” to “SVU,” with Munch transferring from Baltimore Police’s homicide division to NYPD’s special victims unit.
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