Richard Belzer Net Worth

Richard Belzer's Quotes

• I've known Chevy Chase for so long, I actually knew him when he was funny!
• Anybody who thinks there's not a vast right-wing conspiracy in this country must also think that Ken Starr should be our next ambassador to Luxembourg.
• [on his long-running character, Detective John Munch] Munch is the guy who says what a lot of people wouldn't dare say.
• It's this patronizing thing that people have about if you're against the war everyone's lumped together. You know, the soldiers are not scholars, they're not war experts.
• [on United States soldiers serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom] You think everyone over there is a college graduate? They're 19- and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job.

Interesting Facts about Richard Belzer

1. Wrestler Hulk Hogan hurt him while demonstrating a wrestling move on a television show called Hot Properties (1985). He was knocked unconscious and required stitches on his head. He sued Hogan for $5 million, but later settled out of court.
2. Is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Radio Show (1998).
3. Became the third person to play the same character in six different prime-time series, playing Detective John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) (originating series), Law & Order (1990) (crossover), Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005) (crossover), The X Files (1993) (crossover), The Beat (2000) (guest appearance in the short-lived UPN series), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). He followed John Ratzenberger and George Wendt, who played Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson in Cheers (1982), St. Elsewhere (1982), The Tortellis (1987), Wings (1990), The Simpsons (1989), and Frasier (1993). Belzer upped his record to eight series with an appearance in 2 episodes of Arrested Development (2003) during a scrap-booking sting(airing in 2006) and a cameo appearance in the 4th-to-last episode of David Simon's HBO series The Wire: Took (2008) (originally airing February 17, 2008); the appearance brought the character of Munch full circle as the character was born out of Simon's first series, Homicide, and in the scene he is hanging out in a police bar commenting on his experience owning a bar, which he did in Homicide.
4. Has appeared on the March 25, 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live (1975) with Christopher Lee as the host and musical guest Meat Loaf.
5. Has appeared on the October 2, 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live (1975) with Eric Idle as the host and musical guests George Harrison, Joe Cocker and Stuff.
6. Has played himself in the musical drama movie Fame (1980).
7. Auditioned for the role of Groucho Marx in the Tommy Tune production "A Day in Hollywood, a Night in the Ukraine". Belzer taught himself two songs from the 1930s ("Satin Doll" and "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"), but did not get the role.
8. Was going to appear in Chevy Chase's movie, Modern Problems (1981), but scheduling conflicts could not be worked out. The date for the shooting of his scene was postponed twice and the day his scene was supposed to be shot, Belzer had a lucrative club date in New York, which was postponed at the last minute.
9. Testified on behalf of a low-level criminal who ran onto the set of Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) while fleeing actual Baltimore police and surrendered to the actors; Belzer said the look on the guy's face was sufficient punishment.
10. Cousin of Henry Winkler.
11. Has appeared in episodes of three different series with Jerry Orbach: Law & Order (1990), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).
12. Has appeared in episodes of three different series with Jesse L. Martin: Law & Order (1990), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005).
13. His character Detective John Munch, whom he has played continuously on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) since January 1993, is currently the longest-running character on U.S. prime-time drama television.
14. Was born on the same day that Anne Frank and her family were arrested by the Gestapo.
15. Has appeared in episodes of four different series with Sam Waterston: Law & Order (1990), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005).
16. Stepfather of Bree Benton and Jessica Benton.
17. Was an assistant emcee for the Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Rob Reiner.
18. Appears on the cover of Billy Joel's album "Turnstiles" (1976).
19. Was one of the original emcees at Rick Newman's Catch a Rising Star, along with Elayne Boosler, in the mid to late 1970s.
20. He lives in France and speaks French fluently.