Richard Belzer Dead: Celebrities and Fans Pay Tribute

Patton Oswalt and Jon Stewart are among those mourning the legendary actor following the news of his death.

Following the news of veteran comedian and actor Richard Belzer's death, many fans took to social media to pay tribute to not only his many on-screen personalities but personal character.

Belzer had a long and illustrious career, with his most notable role being John Munch on both Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Julie Martin, a writer and producer for both crime TV shows, tweeted about her joyful experience working with Belzer after hearing the news: "Missing Richard Belzer today. Working with him on Homicide to SVU has been a hilarious, surprising and always joyful experience. I'm sure he's giving 'em all a lot of laughs upstairs."

After the announcement, Mariska Hargitay, who stars as Captain Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, shared a touching tribute to her former co-star on Instagram, saying, "Goodbye my dear, dear friend. I will miss you, your unique light, and your singular take on this strange world."

Both Hargitay and Christopher Meloni were original cast members of Law & Order: SVU alongside Belzer.

Meloni kept his tribute to Belzer short and sweet, sharing a throwback photo of himself, Belzer, and Hargitay at a Hollywood event, adding, "Good bye mon ami. I love you."

The Law & Order: Organized Crime actor also posted on Instagram with a longer message, writing, "Richard 'The Belz' Belzer. A beautiful soul, a dapper dresser, with the spirit of a child. Never met anyone like him, and I never will again. Ur last words have helped make ur passing easier to take."

Comedian Jon Stewart also shared a tribute to the late actor, writing, "Rest in Peace Belz. No better time than sitting in the back at Catch watching Richard wreck crowd after crowd…a master."

Another fellow comedian, Laraine Newman, recounted connecting with Belzer when she first moved to the city to work on Saturday Night Live. Belzer acted on a few episodes of the sketch comedy show between 1975 and 1980.

Newman said, "I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing. 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. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest."

Clearly, Belzer's impact on the world of comedy and television was vast.

Marc Maron, who some might probably recognize from his lead role in the critically-acclaimed Netflix series GLOW, shared, "Richard Belzer died. He was an original. One of the greats, babe. I loved the guy. RIP."

Patton Oswalt shared a short but sweet message about Belzer, writing, "Aw goddamit, RIP Richard Belzer. I just always thought he’d be around ‘cause it seemed like he always was. A true original. #TheBelzBabe."

"Richard Belzer was simply hilarious. A genius at handling a crowd. So sad he’s passed away," wrote comedy icon Billy Crystal on Twitter.

Actress Ellen Barkin honored Belzer after his passing, "Rest In Peace dear sweet kind Richard Belzer. Rest In Peace."

Alan Zweibel, a TV comedy writer who worked on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s and 1980s and was friends with Belzer, said, "Richard Belzer was as kind as he was funny. I will miss his brand of comedy that was not confined to boundaries. And will always be grateful for a friendship that lasted almost 50 years. R.I.P .Belz."

Law & Order: Criminal Intent star Vincent D'Onofrio shared a note about Belzer's kind and genuine character, writing, "Richard Belzer was always so kind to me...Sweet sweet man & funny as hell. He will be missed."

Along with Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU, a few other highlights of Belzer's career include his appearances in comedy series like Arrested Development and 30 Rock and his roles in old superhero series like The Flash and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.