Biography
Richard Belzer (born August 4, 1944) is an American stand up comedian, writer and actor.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he grew up with his parents and older brother. He worked as a paperboy and became known for his uncontrollable wit, which caused him to be kicked out of every school he attended. After high school he was a reporter for the Bridgeport Post. He unsuccessfully attended junior college and later enlisted in the Army. He soon realized it was a mistake and tried to get out. After the Army, Belzer moved to New York City and began working as a stand-up comic. He participated in the Channel One comedy group that satirized television and became the basis for the cult movie The Groove Tube.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Belzer became an occasional film actor. He is noted for his small roles in Fame, Night Shift, and Scarface. He also was a player on the National Lampoon Radio Hour, a half-hour comedy program aired on some 600 U.S. stations from 1973 to 1975. Several of his sketches were released on National Lampoon albums drawn from the Radio Hour including several bits in which he portrayed a pithy call-in talk show host named Dick Valentine.
Belzer was the audience warm-up comedian for Saturday Night Live in its premiere season and made three guest appearances on SNL in 1976 and 1978.
Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
In 1985 on his talk show "Hot Properties" Belzer insisted Hulk Hogan put a wrestling move on him. Hulk Hogan put Belzer in a sleeper hold, which caused Belzer to pass out. When Hogan released him, he hit his head on the floor, resulting in a lawsuit. In the 1990s, Belzer appeared frequently on television, including a movie role when he appeared as an LAPD detective in A Very Brady Sequel. He was a regular on The Flash television show. In several episodes of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, he played Inspector William Henderson. He followed that success with starring roles on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing the same character (Detective John Munch) in both series. In addition, he has also played Munch in episodes of five other series:
Law & Order - 4 episodes: "Charm City Part 1", "Baby, It's You", "Sideshow" and "Entitled Part 2".
The X-Files - 1 episode: "Unusual Suspects"
The Beat - 1 episode: "They Say It's Your Birthday"
Law & Order: Trial by Jury - 1 episode: "Skeleton (2)"
Belzer's appearance on Trial by Jury, which aired April 15, 2005, made him the third actor ever to play the same character in six different prime-time TV series. The other two actors are John Ratzenberger and George Wendt who played Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson in Cheers (1982-1993), St. Elsewhere (1985), The Tortellis (1987), Wings (1990), The Simpsons (1994) and Frasier (2002).
Arrested Development - 2 episodes: "S.O.B.s" and "Exit Strategy"
Comedy Central broadcast of the Friars Club roast of Chevy Chase. In his roast Richard Belzer said, "The only time Chevy Chase has a funny bone in his body is when I fuck him in the ass."
Belzer and Henry Winkler (most notably the Fonz on Happy Days) are cousins. Richard Belzer is a survivor of testicular cancer.
Belzer has been married to actress Harlee McBride since 1985. His previous marriages were with Gail Susan Ross (1966-1972) and Dalia Danoch (1976-1978).
Books By Richard Belzer
UFO's, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Believe
How to Be a Stand-Up Comic [2]
Momentum: The Struggle for Peace, Politics, and the People (By Belzer and Marjorie Mowlam)
Trivia
He has appeared in episodes of four different series with Sam Waterston: Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Trial by Jury.
His trademark is that he often appears wearing sunglasses, even indoors.
Richard Belzer testified on behalf of a criminal who was running from actual Baltimore police and ran on the set of Homicide: Life on the Street. The criminal surrendered to the actors. Belzer said the look on the man's face was adequate punishment.
Former jobs include teacher, census-taker, jewelry salesman and dockworker.
