Richard Belzer Net Worth 2024

What was Richard Belzer’s Net Worth?

Richard Belzer was an American stand-up comedian creator and actor who had a net worth of $16 million on the time of his demise. Richard died on February 19, 2023 on the age of 78. Richard Belzer was greatest identified for his long-running function as John Munch on the police procedural collection “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He holds the document for many consecutive years portraying a personality on tv. Richard appeared within the function on numerous different reveals over a span of 23 years from 1993 to 2016. Additionally, Belzer was in movies equivalent to “The Groove Tube,” “Scarface,” “Freeway,” “North,” and “Species II.” Belzer was a featured participant on the National Lampoon Radio Hour with co-stars John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, and Harold Ramis, a half-hour comedy program aired on 600 plus U.S. stations (1973-75). During the ’80s and ’90s,

John Munch Record

Richard Belzer had the excellence of enjoying John Munch on a number of completely different reveals for over a number of many years. He performed the character as an everyday forged member on the NBC police drama collection “Homicide: Life on the Street” and Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”. After he portrayed the character on 22 consecutive seasons of tv over 23 years, from 1993 to 2016, Belzer broke a document that was beforehand held as a tie between James Arness and Kelsey Grammer for many consecutive years portraying a single character. Arness performed Marshall Matt Dillon on 20 consecutive seasons of “Gunsmoke”. Grammer performed Dr. Frasier Crane for 20 consecutive seasons throughout “Cheers” and “Frasier”. Belzer appeared in 122 episodes of Homicide and 325 episodes of SVU. Belzer made cameos because the character in episodes on a number of different collection, together with “The X-Files”, “The Wire” and “30 Rock”.

Early Life

Richard Belzer was born on August 4, 1944 in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Jewish mother and father Charles and Frances. His mom was usually bodily abusive, and he would use comedy to distract her from attacking him and his older brother Leonard. As a teen, Belzer went to Fairfield Warde High School; following his commencement, he served as a reporter for the Bridgeport Post. For his increased schooling, Belzer went to Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts, however was ultimately expelled. He subsequently took plenty of odd jobs, together with as a census taker. Belzer’s father dedicated suicide in 1968.

Career Beginnings

Belzer started his show-business profession within the early 70s as a stand-up comedian in New York City. There, he carried out at Pips, the Improv, and Catch a Rising Star. Additionally, Belzer served because the viewers warm-up comedian for “Saturday Night Live,” and made plenty of visitor appearances on this system between 1975 and 1980.

Television Career

In 1984, Belzer had his personal short-lived present referred to as “The Richard Belzer Show.” Following this, he appeared in episodes of “Moonlighting,” “Miami Vice,” and “Tattingers.” Belzer started showing extra continuously on tv within the 90s. Early within the decade, he had a recurring function as a information reporter on the CBS collection “The Flash.” He additionally performed Inspector William Henderson in a number of episodes of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” However, Belzer landed his breakthrough function in 1993, when he started enjoying the principle function of Detective John Munch on the police drama collection “Homicide: Life on the Street.” A significant success, the present ran for seven seasons via 1999. Following the tip of the collection, Belzer reprised his function as John Munch on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” enjoying the character for 325 episodes via 2016.

Beyond “Homicide” and “SVU,” Belzer has performed John Munch on quite a few different packages. He appeared within the function in 4 episodes of the unique “Law & Order” between 1996 and 2000, in addition to in a 1997 episode of “The X-Files.” In 2000, Belzer performed Munch within the tv movie “Homicide: The Movie” and the short-lived UPN collection “The Beat.” His different appearances as Munch have occurred on “Law & Order: Trial by Jury,” “Arrested Development,” “The Wire,” and even the late-night speak present “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Film Career

Belzer made his movie debut in 1974, starring in a number of roles within the unbiased comedy “The Groove Tube.” In the early 80s, he had small components in “Fame,” “Café Flesh,” “Author! Author!,” “Night Shift,” and Brian De Palma’s remake of “Scarface.” Later within the decade, Belzer was within the neo-noir thriller “Freeway” and the comedies “The Wrong Guys,” “The Big Picture,” and “Fletch Lives.” His credit within the 90s embrace “The Bonfire of the Vanities”; “Off and Running”; “Mad Dog and Glory”; “Dangerous Game”; “North”; “The Puppet Masters”; “Get on the Bus”; “A Very Brady Sequel”; and “Species II,” during which he performed the president of the United States.

Radio Career

Beyond tv and movie, Belzer has appeared continuously on the radio. From 1973 to 1975, he was a featured participant on the “National Lampoon Radio Hour” alongside Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, and John Belushi. Later within the 70s, he cohosted “Brink & Belzer” in New York City. Additionally, Belzer has been an everyday visitor on “The Howard Stern Show,” in addition to on the rightwing conspiracy present hosted by Alex Jones.

Conspiracy Theories and Books

A believer in conspiracies associated to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Belzer has written quite a few books in regards to the topic. His titles embrace “UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Believe” and “Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country’s Most Controversial Cover-Ups.” Belzer has additionally written non-conspiracy theory-oriented books equivalent to “How to Be a Stand-Up Comic” and “I Am Not a Cop!”

Hulk Hogan Incident

Days earlier than the inaugural WrestleMania occasion in 1985, Belzer requested skilled wrestler Hulk Hogan to exhibit considered one of his signature strikes on Belzer’s tv speak present “Hot Properties.” Hogan proceeded to place the actor in a entrance chin-lock, inflicting Belzer to black out. When he was launched, Belzer hit his head on the ground, leading to a laceration that required a brief keep on the hospital. After this incident, Belzer sued Hogan for $5 million; the 2 finally settled out of courtroom.

Personal Life

In 1966, Belzer wed his first spouse, Gail Susan Ross. They finally divorced in 1972. Four years later, he married boutique supervisor Dalia Danoch. They ultimately divorced in 1978. In 1985, Belzer married actress Harlee McBride, with whom he has two step-daughters named Jessica and Bree.

Belzer was a survivor of testicular most cancers, having fought off the illness in 1983. He lived within the south of France within the commune of Bozouls, the place he moved following his time on “SVU.”