OUR Richard Belzerstand-up comedian and actor, best known for playing the detective John Muntz in the TV seriesMurder: Street Life” And “Law & Order: SVU“, died Sunday in France. He was 78 years old.

“Richard Belzer’s John Muntz is one of the most iconic characters on TV,” Law & Order and SVU creator Dick Wolf said in a statement to Variety. “This was the first time I worked with Richard on a Law & Order/Murder crossover episode and I loved the character so much that I told Tom (Fontana) that I wanted to make Belzer one of the original SVU characters. The rest is history. Richard brought joy to our lives with his sense of humor, he was a consummate professional and will be greatly missed.”

US broadcasters NBC and Universal said in a statement: “Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of watching Belzer play Detective John Muntz – whether on Homicide or Law & Order: SVU for over four decades, he will never forget it. how he was devoted to the beloved hero of the public (…) condolences to his people, we are in mourning with him, but we always remember him.

Belzer’s death was announced by his cousin and actor Henry Winkler.

According to Variety