Remembering Richard Belzer: Stand-up Comedian, Actor, and Author

Richard Belzer, who died in France on Sunday at the age of 78, was an American actor, stand-up comedian, and author. 

He was best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/​Sergeant, and DA Investigator John Munch, whom he portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,as well as in guest appearances on several other series. He portrayed the character for 23 years, from 1993 until retiring in 2016.

As Jason Zinoman wrote yesterday in The New York Times,

Belzer is best known for his performances as a detective on TV, but his acting career was built on a signature persona in comedy, as a master of seductive crowd work who set the template for the MC in the early days of the comedy club. Often in jackets and shirts buttoned low, he cut a stylish image, spiky and louche. He could charm with the best of them, but unlike many performers, he didn’t come off as desperate for your approval. He understood that one of the peculiar things about comedy is that the line between irritation and ingratiation could easily blur.

Here's a video clip of a Belzer stand-up comedy performance in 1978 when he imagined what Bob Dylan sounded like at his Bar Mitzvah and what he would sound like as a Yiddish-inflected singer in his 80's.

Enjoy!

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