Richard Belzer, comedian and TV detective John Munch on 'Law & Order,' dies at 78

Richard Belzer, a longtime stand-up comedian known for "Saturday Night Live" and one of TV's most memorable detectives as John Munch in "Law & Order" franchise shows, has died. He was 78.

Belzer died peacefully Sunday at his home with his family in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, in southern France, his longtime friend Bill Scheft confirmed to USA TODAY. Scheft, a writer who had been working on a documentary about Belzer, told The Associated Press there was no known cause of death, but that Belzer had been dealing with circulatory and respiratory issues.

Comedian Laraine Newman first announced his death on Twitter. Newman, who worked alongside Belzer during his appearances on "SNL" from 1975 to 1980, paid tribute to her co-star on Sunday. "I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing," Newman wrote. "I loved this guy so much."

"He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do 'SNL.' We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster," she recalled. "One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest."

Belzer's "Law & Order" co-star Chris Meloni shared a photo on Twitter kissing the late star on the cheek. "Good bye mon ami. I love you," Meloni wrote alongside the tribute. He also posted a photo of Mariska Hargitay feeding Belzer an apple.

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In addition to his work as a comedian, Belzer played the role of Detective John Munch for 23 years. The character first appeared in NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1993 and made its way into several other unrelated shows including, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," "30 Rock," "The X-Files," "Arrested Development," "The Wire" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

Belzer never auditioned for the role of Detective John Munch. After hearing him on "The Howard Stern Show," executive producer Barry Levinson brought Belzer in to read for the part.

"I would never be a detective. But if I were, that's how I'd be," Belzer once said. "They write to all my paranoia and anti-establishment dissidence and conspiracy theories. So it's been a lot of fun for me. A dream, really."

"He made me laugh a billion times," his longtime friend and fellow stand-up Richard Lewis said Sunday on Twitter.

Former "Law & Order: SVU" showrunner Warren Light said Belzer was "the first actor to welcome" him when he began on "SVU."

"Open, warm, acerbic, whip smart, surprisingly kind. I loved writing for Munch, and I loved being with Belz," Light tweeted. "We sensed this would be his parting scene. Godspeed, Belz…"

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Belzer was drawn to comedy, he said, during an abusive childhood in which his mother would beat him and his older brother, Len. He would do impressions of his childhood idol, Jerry Lewis. "My kitchen was the toughest room I ever worked," Belzer told People magazine in 1993.

Belzer is survived by his third wife, the actress Harlee McBride, whom he married in 1985.

For the past 20 years, they lived mostly in France, in homes he purchased partially from the proceeds of a lawsuit with Hulk Hogan. In 1985, Belzer had Hogan as a guest on his cable TV talk show “Hot Properties” to perform a chin-lock on him. Belzer passed out, hit his head and sued Hogan for $5 million. They settled out of court.

Contributing: Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Richard Belzer, 'SNL' comedian and 'Law & Order' star, dies at 78