‘Law & Order’ Star and Comedian Richard Belzer Dead At 78

Richard Belzer, renowned comedian and long-time Law & Order actor, has died at 78.

Belzer’s long-time friend Laraine Newman, who worked with him throughout the ’70s and ’80s, confirmed Belzer’s death in a tweet. 

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

“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,” she wrote. “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.”

He rose to fame playing Detective John Munch, first on Homicide: Life on the Streets in 1993 and then with the Law & Order franchise. The popular character made several appearances on other shows throughout the years, including X-Files, The Wire, 30 Rock, and Arrested Development. He played the character for 23 years until retiring from acting in 2016.

Before working in television, Belzer was a well-known comedian. He appeared in several of Saturday Night Live’s early episodes and did standup and sketch comedy on his own. He was featured on the National Lampoon Radio Hour alongside greats like John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, and Harold Ramis. 

In addition to TV and comedy, Belzer starred in movies like Scarface, The Puppet Masters, Man on the Moon, Species II, Fame, and more. 

Belzer is survived by his wife, Harlee. They married in 1985 and were together for more than 40 years before his death.