By Rita Charleston
For the Times
He’d been a census taker, dock worker, jewelry salesman, paperboy, reporter and teacher. Then he got into acting, writing and stand-up comedy.
In fact, fellow comic Robin Williams once described Richard Belzer as "The Marquis de Sade as a game show host." And, added Richard Pryor, "his comedy is honest."
Accolades indeed from his peers. Widely known for his astute political observations with an insatiable appreciation for the news, Belzer has been using his forte for acting successfully for 15 years in two highly successful TV shows portraying Detective John Munch on Homicide on the Street, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
"I think Munch remains popular with TV viewers because he has this sardonic, cynical, gallows-type humor. He’s anti-establishment. Ironically, being a cop, he’s still a dissident and so a very unique character," said Belzer who will display his considerable talents as a stand-up comic on Friday at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, sharing the bill with Dennis Miller.
Although he doesn’t perform much anymore, Belzer admitted he’s looking forward to getting back on stage.
"Although I go on the road very rarely now, to me there’s nothing like being on stage enjoying the immediate reaction of a live audience, That’s what’s drawing me back to the stage. I miss it. I get to vent and do my impressions and parodies," he said.
"I get to talk to the audience. I sing, dance. I do everything. Just like the entertainers I watched as a kid growing up. I’m from the old school, so I do it all, too."
A self-admitted class clown, Belzer says he was thrown out, or asked to leave, every school he ever attended "due to uncontrollable wit" and a "reflex action that made me unable to resist being funny."
Eventually parlaying his talents in the classroom into a new career, Belzer got his big break in show business in something called Groove Tube, the counterculture film that went on to become a cult classic. Since then, his comedic talents have been featured in every entertainment medium, from off-Broadway (The National Lampoon Show with Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and John Belushi) to radio (Brink and Belzer on WNBC) to film (Fame; Author, Author; Night Shift and Scarface).
But today, Belzer, 62, is probably best known for his portrayal of Detective Munch. Altogether, Belzer has portrayed Munch on five different dramas.
"This is one conspiracy in which I am a willing participant," said Belzer, a renowned conspiracy theorist. "I think one of the best things about playing Munch for so long is when I meet people who recognize me from the role, they smile and say hello. There’s a lot of good will out there which I really appreciate, because I’ve been around for a long time playing Munch. I feel very lucky for all the things he’s done for me."
Besides his acting and standup talents, Belzer is also the author of several books and has signed with Simon and Schuster to write a series of mystery novels called I Am Not A Cop, based on a character who’s on a TV show playing a cop who gets caught up in real crimes because people identify him so much with his character.
"I also do a lot of charity work," Belzer said. "I’m an honorary detective in New York. I work for the Brady (gun control) Campaign. I like to use my fame for something other than buying Movado watches, although I do that too!" ••
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