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Richard Belzer and his stuntman, from Elmopalooza.
Belzer on the set of SVU presents "lazy" as "the Word of the Day" on Sesame Street.
A caraciature of Belzer as Munch in Sesame Street’s "Law and Order: Special Letters Unit."
Richard Belzer (1944-2023) was an American actor and comedian best known for his role as Detective John Munch in the television series Homicide: Life on the Street and in the Law & Order franchise. Frequently playing the role in crossovers or comedy guest spots, Belzer played Munch on six other series including The X-Files, 30 Rock, and Arrested Development.
Belzer made a cameo appearance in the 1998 special Elmopalooza which alluded to his role as Munch. In fact, when he arrives backstage to rescue Jon Stewart from his locked dressing room, Big Bird mistakes him for a police officer. He's not able to break the door down, so he calls in his stuntman, Sparky.
Later, in Sesame Street Season 38, Belzer appeared to present "lazy" as the Word of the Day from his SVU desk. (First: Episode 4138)
Belzer's early career was spent doing stand-up comedy and improv in New York City in the 1970s. This led to his appearance in a Sesame Street film insert with Brian Doyle-Murray (First: Episode 1120) as two men in a boat. Similar work in the period included sketch work and writing on The National Lampoon Radio Hour and serving as audience warm-up comic on Saturday Night Live. He appeared occasionally on the latter, including once as a Chevy Chase impersonator.
Outside of portraying Munch, Belzer had film roles in Fame, Scarface, and Mad Dog and Glory (all as club emcees), The Bonfire of the Vanities, and Fletch Lives. He recurred on the DC Comics series The Flash and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
References[]
- The Sesame Street Season 37 sketch spoof "Law & Order: Special Letters Unit" features Anything Muppet caricatures of the cast. The one of Belzer is explicitly named Munch in dialogue.