Richard Jay Belzer (born August 4, 1944) is a retired American actor, stand-up
comedian, and author. He is best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/Sergeant, and DA Investigator
John Munch
John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on the American crime drama television series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' on NBC. A regular through the entire run of the series from 1993 to 1999, Mu ...
,
whom he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
police drama
The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eithe ...
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 to 2016.
Belzer retired from acting at age 71 in 2016.
]
Early life and education
Belzer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Frances and Charles Belzer, a tobacco and candy retailer. He grew up in a Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family. He described his mother as frequently physically abusive, and he declared that his comedy career began when trying to make his mother laugh to distract her from abusing him and his brother. After graduating from Fairfield Warde High School
Fairfield Warde High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. The Fairfield Warde Mustangs play in the FCIAC division of the CIAC.
Notable people
* Jack Baran (2014), YouTuber
* Kristen San ...
, Belzer worked as a reporter for the ''Bridgeport Post
The ''Connecticut Post'' is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves Fairfield County and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Ansonia, Bridgeport, Darien, Derby, Easton, ...
.''
Belzer attended Dean College
Dean College is a private college in Franklin, Massachusetts. It offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and continuing and professional education and certificates.
History
Dean College was founded by Dr. Oliver Dean as a co-educational ...
, which was then known as Dean Junior College
Dean College is a private college in Franklin, Massachusetts. It offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and continuing and professional education and certificates.
History
Dean College was founded by Dr. Oliver Dean as a co-educati ...
, in Franklin, Massachusetts, but was expelled. He worked in a variety of jobs, including sales and as a census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
taker.
Career
Stand-up
After his first divorce, Belzer relocated to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, moved in with singer Shelley Ackerman
Shelley Ackerman (October 14, 1953 – February 27, 2020) was an American astrologer, writer, actress and singer. She was a frequent guest and commentator on radio and television news and entertainment shows.
Biography
Early life
The daughter o ...
, and began working as a stand-up comic at Pips, The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. It was founded as a single venue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City in 1963, and expanded into a chain of venues in the late 1970s.
History
Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1 ...
, and Catch a Rising Star. He participated in the Channel One comedy group that satirized television and became the basis for the cult movie ''The Groove Tube
''The Groove Tube'' is a 1974 American independent comedy film written and produced by Ken Shapiro and starring Shapiro, Richard Belzer and Chevy Chase. It features the song " Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield in its opening scene.
The low-budget ...
,'' in which Belzer played the costar of the ''ersatz'' TV show ''The Dealers''.
Belzer was the audience warm-up comedian for ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' and made three guest appearances on the show between 1975 and 1980. He also opened for musician Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician.
Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...
during his tour supporting the release of his album ''Excitable Boy
''Excitable Boy'' is the third studio album by American musician Warren Zevon. The album was released on January 18, 1978, by Asylum Records. It includes the single "Werewolves of London", which reached No. 21 and remained in the American Top 4 ...
''.
Film
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Belzer became an occasional film actor. A short skit of a younger Richard Belzer can be found on ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
'' in a season 9 episode in 1978 when two young men attempt a picnic and boat ride, only to be thwarted by a dog who eats their food. He is noted for small roles in '' Fame'', ''Café Flesh
''Café Flesh'' is a 1982 post-apocalyptic cult pornographic science fiction film designed and directed by Stephen Sayadian (under the pseudonym "Rinse Dream") and co-written by Sayadian and Jerry Stahl (credited as "Herbert W. Day"). Music was ...
'', '' Night Shift'', and '' Scarface''. He appeared in the music videos
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for the Mike + The Mechanics song "Taken In
"Taken In" is a song performed by Mike + The Mechanics. Written by guitarist Mike Rutherford and producer Christopher Neil, it was the third single released in June 1986 from their 1985 self-titled debut album, and the third to become a Top 4 ...
" and for the Pat Benatar
Patricia Mae Giraldo ('' née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum al ...
song "Le Bel Age", as well as the Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
video "Can't Cry Anymore". He appeared in ''A Very Brady Sequel
''A Very Brady Sequel'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Arlene Sanford (in her feature film directorial debut), with a screenplay by Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan, James Berg and Stan Zimmerman, and starring Shelley Long, Gary Cole an ...
'' as an LAPD detective.
Radio
In addition to his film career, Belzer was a featured player on the '' National Lampoon Radio Hour'' with co-stars John Belushi
John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...
, Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
, Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...
, Gilda Radner, and Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis (; November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014) was an American actor, comedian, director and writer. His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984) and ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), and as Russell ...
, a half-hour comedy program aired on 600 plus 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 Ballantine
Dick Ballantine is a fictional character played by actor and comic Richard Belzer on segments of ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'', aired on some 600 U.S. radio stations between 1973 and 1975. The character is an ersatz radio call-in host.
His ...
".
In the late 1970s, he co-hosted ''Brink & Belzer'' on 660AM WNBC
WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo stati ...
radio in New York City. He has been a frequent guest on ''The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...
''.
Following the departure of Randi Rhodes
Randi is both a given name, and a nickname in the English language, popular in North America and Norway. It is primarily a feminine name, although there is recorded usage of the name by men. It may have originated as a pet form of '' Miranda'' o ...
from Air America Radio
Air America (formerly Air America Radio and Air America Media) was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk radio. It was on the air from March 2004 to January 2010.
The network was founded as a left wing alternative to counter ...
, Belzer guest-hosted the afternoon program on the network.
Belzer has been a regular guest on the right-wing radio show of Alex Jones
Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American far-right and alt-right radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas, which the Genesis Communications Network broadcas ...
and appeared on the episode covering the Boston Marathon bombing
The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, w ...
, in which he referred to the bombing as a false flag event.
Television
In the 1990s, Belzer appeared frequently on television. He was a regular on '' The Flash'' as a news anchor and reporter. In several episodes of '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,'' he played Inspector William Henderson.
He followed that with starring roles on the Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
-based '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1993–1999) and the New York-based '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–2013), portraying police detective John Munch
John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on the American crime drama television series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' on NBC. A regular through the entire run of the series from 1993 to 1999, Mu ...
in both series.[ ]Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ...
, Executive Producer of ''Homicide'', said Belzer was a "lousy actor" in audition when he read lines from the script for "Gone for Goode
"Gone for Goode" is the first episode of the first season of the American police drama television series '' Homicide: Life on the Street''. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 31, 1993, immediately following Super Bowl XXVI ...
", the first episode in the series. Levinson asked Belzer to take time to reread and practice the material, then read it again. At his second reading, Levinson said Belzer was "still terrible", but that the actor eventually found confidence in his performance.
In addition, Belzer has played Munch in episodes on seven other series and in a sketch on one talk show, making Munch the only fictional character to appear on eleven different television shows played by a single actor. These shows were on six different networks:
* '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
)
* '' Law & Order'' (NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
)
* ''The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
'' (Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
)
* '' The Beat'' (UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
)
* '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' (NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
)
** 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
John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947)[About John](_blank)
from Ratzenberger's official website is an Americ ...
and George Wendt
George Robert Wendt Jr. (born October 17, 1948) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom '' Cheers'' (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Em ...
, who played Cliff Clavin
Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show '' Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's know-it-all and was a contestant on the game show ''Jeopardy!'' Cliff ...
and Norm Peterson
Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather.
Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of '' ...
, respectively, in '' Cheers'' (1982–93); '' St. Elsewhere'' (1985); ''The Tortellis
''The Tortellis'' is an American sitcom television series and the first Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Cheers'', starring Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem. It aired on NBC from January 22 to May 12, 1987.
Synopsis
Hedaya and Kasem had appeared on ''Ch ...
'' (1987); ''Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
'' (1990); ''The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' (1994); and ''Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...
'' (2002).
* ''Arrested Development
The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...
'' (Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
)
* ''The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2 ...
'' ( HBO)
* '' 30 Rock''[ (]NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
)
** The characters are watching a ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' episode; a scene shot for ''30 Rock''
* '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
)
* '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' (ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
)
* ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' is an American streaming television sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring Ellie Kemper in the title role. It premiered on March 6, 2015, on Netflix and ran for four seasons, ending on January 25 ...
'' (Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
), in which he played a John Munch-like character on a fictional ''Law & Order'' spinoff.
In March 2016, executive producer Warren Leight announced Belzer would return to reprise the role in a May 2016 episode of ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', titled "Fashionable Crimes".
Belzer portrayed Det. Munch for 22 consecutive seasons on ''Homicide'' (7 seasons) and ''Law & Order: SVU'' (15 seasons), which exceeded the previous primetime live-action record of twenty consecutive seasons held by James Arness
James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the CBS television series ''Gunsmoke''. Arness has the distinction of having played the ...
(who portrayed Marshal Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of '' Gunsmoke''. He is the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. The character w ...
on '' Gunsmoke'' from 1955 to 1975) and Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...
(as Dr. Frasier Crane
Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off ''Frasier'', portrayed by Kelsey Grammer. The character debu ...
on '' Cheers'' and ''Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...
'' from 1984 to 2004). This record has since been passed by Belzer's "SVU" co-star Mariska Hargitay.
Belzer appeared in several of Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
's televised broadcasts of Friars Club roasts. On June 9, 2001, Belzer himself was honored by the New York Friars Club and the Toyota Comedy Festival as the honoree of the first-ever roast open to the public. Comedians and friends on the dais included Roastmaster Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both ''Late Ni ...
; Christopher Walken; Danny Aiello; Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ...
; Robert Klein
Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian, singer, and actor. He is known for his appearances on stage and screen. He has released four standup comedy specials: ''A Child of the 50s'' (1973), ''Mind Over Matter'' (197 ...
; Bill Maher; ''SVU'' costars Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Peopl ...
, Christopher Meloni
Christopher Peter Meloni (; born April 2, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC legal drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' for its first 12 seasons and its spin-off ...
, Ice-T, and Dann Florek; and ''Law & Order'' Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
. At the December 1, 2002, roast of Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
, Belzer said, "The only time Chevy Chase has a funny bone in his body is when I fuck him in the ass."
Belzer voiced the character of Loogie for most of the '' South Park'' episode titled " The Tooth Fairy Tats 2000". He and Brian Doyle-Murray
Brian Murray (born October 31, 1945), known professionally by his stage name as Brian Doyle-Murray, is an American actor, voice-actor and screenwriter. He has appeared with his younger brother, actor/comedian Bill Murray, in several movies, i ...
were featured in the tenth-season premiere of ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
''.
Author
Belzer believes there was a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy and has written four books discussing conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
:
* ''UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Believe''
* ''Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country’s Most Controversial Cover-Ups''
* ''Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination''
* ''Someone Is Hiding Something: What Happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?''
''Dead Wrong'' and ''Hit List'' were written with journalist David Wayne and reached ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. ''Someone Is Hiding Something'' was also written with David Wayne as well as radio talk show host George Noory
George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is syndicated to hundreds of radio stations in ...
. Belzer's long-time character, John Munch, is also a believer in conspiracy theories, including the JFK assassination.
Personal life
Belzer's first two marriages were to Gail Susan Ross (1966–72) and boutique manager Dalia Danoch (1976 – c. 1978), both of which ended in divorce. In 1981 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
he met 31-year-old Harlee McBride
Harlee McBride (born November 20, 1948) is a retired American actress. She is best known for the role of Cynthia Chatterley in ''Young Lady Chatterley'' and '' Young Lady Chatterley II'', and as Dr. Alyssa Dyer on '' Homicide: Life on the Street' ...
, a divorcee with two daughters, Bree Benton and Jessica. McBride, who had been seen in ''Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' magazine four years earlier in that year's sex-in-cinema feature, in conjunction with ''Young Lady Chatterley'', was appearing in TV commercials
A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
for Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
and acting in free theater when she met Belzer at the suggestion of a friend. The two married in 1985.[ RE Ross: "In 1971, a year before the end of his six-year marriage to Gail Susan Ross...." RE Danoch: "In 1976. Belzer worked himself into a second marriage with Dalia Danoch, a boutique manager, but it ended in divorce less than two years later."]
Belzer survived testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility.
Risk factors include an ...
in 1983. His HBO special and comedy CD ''Another Lone Nut'' pokes fun at this medical incident as well as his status as a well-known conspiracy theorist
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
.
On March 27, 1985, days prior to the inaugural WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
, Belzer requested on his cable TV talk show ''Hot Properties'' that Hulk Hogan demonstrate one of his signature wrestling moves. After being asked by Belzer several times, Hogan put Belzer in a front chin-lock, which caused Belzer to pass out. When Hogan released him, Belzer hit his head on the floor, sustaining a laceration to the scalp that required a brief hospitalization. Belzer sued Hogan for $5 million and settled out of court. He used the incident in his HBO special ''Another Lone Nut'' as part of his stand-up routine.
Belzer's older brother, Leonard Belzer, died by suicide at age 73 in the early morning hours of July 30, 2014, by jumping from the roof of the New York City luxury apartment building in which he had resided. Belzer's father had also died by suicide, in 1968.
Belzer moved to the town Bozouls in the South of France, following his being written out of ''SVU''. He spends his time writing about his passion of conspiracy theories (Corporate Conspiracies: How Wall Street Will Take Over Washington and the upcoming Conversations with Jerry Lewis).
Filmography
Film
Television
Books
* ''UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to be Crazy to Believe'',
* ''How to Be a Stand-Up Comic'',
* ''I Am Not a Cop!: A Novel'',
* ''I Am Not a Psychic!'',
* ''Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country's Most Controversial Cover-Ups'',
* ''Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination'',
* ''Someone Is Hiding Something: What Happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?'',
References
External links
*
*
*
NBC Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belzer, Richard
1944 births
Living people
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American conspiracy theorists
American male film actors
American male television actors
American stand-up comedians
American television talk show hosts
Connecticut Democrats
Dean College alumni
Jewish American male actors
Jewish American male comedians
Male actors from Bridgeport, Connecticut
Male actors from Connecticut
Comedians from Connecticut
Writers from Bridgeport, Connecticut
21st-century American Jews