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Richard Belzeris forever memorialized in his finalLaw & Order:Special Victims Unitscene.
The veteran actor and comedian, who played Detective John Munch in the crime drama from 1999 to 2016, died on Sunday at age 78, formerLate Show with David Lettermanwriter Bill Scheft confirmed to PEOPLE.
In a tweet shortly after the tragic news was announced,Law & Orderwriter and showrunner Warren Leight shared a tribute to Belzer, which included a YouTubeclip of his last scene on the hit show.
“Richard Belzer was the first actor to welcome me when I started atSVU,” wrote Leight. “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…”
Law & Order/Youtube
“I was worried when I left. That I’d fall apart without the job or the place would fall apart without me,” Munch tells Benson as she holds Noah in the clip. “But it’s been good. Turns out there’s more to life than SVU.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Benson replies as she looks at her son, rubbing his shoulder. “Well, I’m glad we both found that out.”
“Taught him a major life lesson,” adds Munch about Noah. “Always question authority.”
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Over 200 fans weighed in on the scene, which was posted onLaw & Order’s official YouTube page.
On Sunday, Hargitay honored her costar in an emotional Instagram post.
“How lucky the angels are to have you. I love you so very much, now and forever,” the post concluded.
“I first worked with Richard on theLaw & Order/Homicidecrossover and loved the character so much, I told Tom (Fontana) that I wanted to make him one of the original characters onSVU,” added Wolf. “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.”
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Laraine Newman, who was a cast member onSaturday Night Livefrom 1975 to 1980, also paid tribute to Belzer’s role as the NBC sketch comedy show’s warm-up comedian during her run.
“I’m so sad to hear of Richard Belzer’s passing,” she wrote Sunday. “I loved this guy so much. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to doSNL.”
“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,” added Newman.
Marc Maronwrote in a tribute post: “Richard Belzer died.He was an original. One of the greats, babe. I loved the guy. RIP”
“The Belz… Even holding his dog he wasalways the coolest cat in the room,” wroteJeff Ross, sharing a throwback photo of Belzer with his poodle-fox terrier mixBebe.
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After originating the role of Munch on NBC’sHomicide: Life on the Streetin 1993 and reprising the character in theLaw & Orderparent series, Belzer appeared in nearly 330 episodes ofSVUbetween 1999 and 2013, with two additional cameos in 2014 and 2016.
“It was a bit of a miracle how I got the part,” he said in an interview withThe Boomer Tube. “I didn’t audition for it. Barry Levinson heard me on theHoward Stern Showand brought me in to read for the character.”
source: people.com
