Law and Order SVU star Richard Belzer dies age 78 after battling series of health issues

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Richard Belzer attends 90th Birthday Of Jerry Lewis at The Friars Club on April 8, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/WireImage)

Richard Belzer, the longtime stand-up comedian who became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU, has died. He was 78.

He played the character in a total of 11 shows over the course of 22 years featuring in the original Law and Order and Trial by Jury as well as X-Files and Arrested Development.

Belzer died Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southern France after battling a series of health issues. His death was announced by the star’s longtime friend Bill Scheft who told The Hollywood Reporter and revealed his last words were “F*** you, motherf***er”.

Comedian Laraine Newman was the first celebrity to announce his death on Twitter writing, “He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL,” adding, “We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster.”

Newman went on to say Belzer was “one of the funniest people ever” and acknowledged him as a “master at crowd work.” Meanwhile, the actor Henry Winkler, Belzer’s cousin, wrote “Rest in peace Richard.”

Comedian Billy Crystal also paid tribute to the beloved actor tweeting, “Richard Belzer was simply hilarious. A genius at handling a crowd. So sad he’s passed away.”

For more than two decades and across 10 series — including even appearances on 30 Rock and Arrested Development — Belzer played the wise-cracking homicide detective prone to conspiracy theories. Belzer first played Munch on a 1993 episode of Homicide and last played him in 2016 on Law & Order: SVU.

Belzer never auditioned for the role. After hearing him on The Howard Stern Show, executive producer Barry Levinson brought Belzer in to read for the part.

“I would never be a detective. But if I were, that’s how I’d be,” Belzer once said. “They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidence and conspiracy theories. So it’s been a lot of fun for me. A dream, really.”

Belzer broke a prime-time record during his time as the acerbic detective. After playing the role for 22 consecutive seasons, he exceeding the previous record of 20 consecutive seasons held by James Arness — who played Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1975, and Kelsey Grammer.

His Law and Order: SVU co-star Mariska Hargitay has since beaten that record.

The character ultimately announced his retirement in 2014, but Munch returned a couple of years later in the 17th season.

Just recently, Belzer’s character was mentioned in an episode of Law and Order: SVU, when ICE T’s character talked about his old partner, Munch.

ICE T, who plays Fin on the show, said Munch had gone back to Baltimore — where Homicide Life on the Streets took place — opened a bar and was happily married.

Belzer was last seen on the show in 2016.

- Additional reporting by NZ Herald