'Law And Order' Actor Dies With The Last Words: 'F**k You, Motherf***er'

Richard Belzer, a comedian known for his role as detective John Munch on "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," has died. He was 78.

The stand-up comedian passed away early Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southwest France. Writer Bill Scheft, Belzer's longtime friend, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.

Scheft revealed that Belzer suffered from "lots of health issues" and that his last words were, "F–k you, motherf–er."

Belzer was a cancer survivor, beating testicular cancer in 1983. His bout with the disease inspired his 1997 HBO comedy special "Another Lone Nut."

The actor was famous for his role as the iconic Munch on "SUV," where he became a series regular and appeared in over 230 episodes. Belzer bowed out as a series regular on the show in October 2013. He returned three years later for a Season 17 episode before retiring from acting, according to Variety.

Belzer's character, who was created by Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson, first appeared on NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1993. After the show ended around the 1998-99 season, the character appeared in the first season of "SVU."

The Munch character has appeared in a total of nine TV series on five networks since the character's debut 30 years ago, the outlet noted.

Belzer made several guest appearances as Munch on various television shows, including "3rd Rock From the Sun," "Arrested Development," "30 Rock," "The Wire," "The X-Files" and "The Beat."

Reflecting on his stint as Munch, Belzer told The Comic's Comic in 2008, "I never asked anyone to be on their show. So, it's doubly flattering to me to see me depicted in a script and that I'm so recognizable and lovable as the sarcastic detective and smart-a--."

He continued, "Much to my delight because he is a great character for me to play, it's fun for me. So, I'm not upset about being typecast at all."

Despite his love for the character, Belzer admitted in an interview with "The Boomer Tube" that although Munch is "very close to how I would be" if he were a detective, he never aspired to be one.

"They write to all of my paranoia, anti-establishment dissonance, and conspiracy theories, so it's a lot of fun for me. It's like a dream, actually," the actor added.

Other acting highlights throughout the late actor's career included his role as a Babylon Club M.C. in 1993's "Scarface," his role as the president in 1998's "Species II" and 1991's "The Flash" TV series.

Belzer was also known as a conspiracy theorist, who wrote books that centered on topics such as the John F. Kennedy assassination, the existence of UFOs and Elvis Presley's death, The New York Post reported.

While he was known for his iconic jokes and witty personality, Belzer had a tragic childhood.

Born in 1994, Belzer was raised in Connecticut by an abusive mother, who died of cancer in 1964. Three years later, his more mild-mannered father attempted to take his own life but was saved by Belzer at the time. The following year, his father killed himself. In 2014, Belzer's brother also died by suicide.

Following the news of Belzer's death, "Law & Order" and "SVU" creator Dick Wolf said in a statement to Variety, "I first worked with Richard on the 'Law & Order'/'Homicide' crossover [episode in 1997] and loved the character so much, I told Tom (Fontana) that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on 'SVU.' The rest is history. Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional and we will all miss him very much."

NBC and Universal Television also paid tribute to Belzer, writing in a joint statement, "Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Det. John Munch — whether on 'Homicide' or 'Law & Order: SVU' – over four decades will never forget how much he inhabited that beloved character to make it his own."

"His professionalism, talents and dedication to the craft made him a pillar in the industry, but it was his humor, compassion and loving heart that made him family. Our condolences go out to his loved ones as we join them in mourning his loss, but also in celebrating his memory," they added.