According to his friends and former colleagues, Richard Belzer, the longtime star of NBC's Law & Order franchise, has passed away at age 78.

The actor and veteran comic Richard Belzer passed away on Sunday at his house in Bozouls, southwest France, according to Bill Scheft, a friend of the actor and writer, who informed The Hollywood Reporter.

Richard Belzer Cause of Death

Beginning in 1993, Belzer portrayed John Munch for 23 years on Homicide: Life on the Streets and Law & Order. In 2016, at age 71, the Connecticut-born comedian retired from acting.

Sunday, Universal Television and NBC released a joint statement expressing their sympathies. "His professionalism, talents, and dedication to the craft made him a pillar in the industry, but his humor, compassion, and loving heart made him family."

Dick Wolf, the show's creator, also praised Belzer in a statement. Laraine Newman, who collaborated with Belzer on Saturday Night Live, turned to Twitter to honor him. The SVU showrunner, Warren Leight, also took to Twitter to honor Belzer and release a video of his final appearance on the show. Julie Martin, an executive producer, and writer for SVU, also tweeted broken heart emojis regarding the actor.

Munch has been featured in nine television programs on five networks, which is more than any other fictional character. The character appeared on television for 22 seasons, two longer than Gunsmoke's Marshall Matt Dillon or Cheers' Frasier Crane.

Belzer featured as a guest star as Munch on 3rd Rock From the Sun, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Wire, The X-Files, and The Beat. His third wife, actress Harlee McBride, whom he wed in 1985, and stepdaughters Jessica and Bree survive him.

Per The Independent, The star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit died on Sunday at his home in Bozouls, France. The cause of his death has not been confirmed. However, Scheft stated to The Hollywood Reporter that the man's final words were, "F**k you, motherf**ker."

Ice T, the rap star who collaborated with Belzer as Fin Tutuola, discussed Belzer's passing on Sunday afternoon. The actor began his career as a comedian but rose to prominence for his performance as Detective John Munch.

In addition to Law and Order and Trial by Jury, he appeared in the original Law and Order and Trial by Jury. During 22 years, Belzer portrayed Munch on 11 television programs, including 'X-Files,' 'Arrested Development,' 'The Wire,' and 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.'

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Who is Richard Belzer?

Per Daily Mail, Belzer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he claims he began his excursion into comedy by attempting to make his violently abusive mother laugh. Yet his "uncontrollable wit" got him into problems in school, and his tenure at Massachusetts' Dean Junior College came to a premature end when he was dismissed from organizing on-campus demonstrations.

Before beginning his career in Hollywood, Belzer performed several odd jobs, including as a reporter for the Bridgeport Post and a census taker. He ultimately decided to pursue comedy after his father committed himself in 1968, replying to an ad in The Village Voice to audition for Channel One, an East Village comedy company.

Belzer would go on to perform the parts he had refined growing up - including imitations of Marlon Brando, Jerry Lewis, and Bob Dylan - at some Manhattan comedy venues.

In 1972, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner appeared alongside Belzer on National Lampoon Radio Hour. Some of the skits were ultimately published on CDs, including several in which Belzer portrayed Dick Ballentine, a witty call-in talk show presenter.

In addition to his brief film roles, he made three guest appearances on Saturday Night Love from 1975 to 1980 as the program's first comic. He also presented the short-lived chat program Hot Properties on Lifetime. In 1985, just days before the inaugural WrestleMania, the actor demanded that the professional wrestler come on his program.

He began with modest appearances in the 1990s as a news anchor on The Flash and Inspector William Henderson in various episodes of Lois & Clark and the New Adventures of Superman. In addition to his performances on Arrested Development, The Wire, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, he portrayed Munch in a 1977 X-Files episode that explored the roots of one of the show's primary conspiracy theories.

In his personal life, Belzer was a recognized conspiracy theorist, penning four distinct books on his ideas. He was also frequent on Alex Jones' show, once referring to the Boston Marathon bombing as a false flag operation. He was married three times throughout his life and earlier survived testicular cancer. He retired from acting in 2016 and has been living in the South of France for several years.

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