People are lately wondering about the reason behind John Munch leaving Law & Order: SVU. Hope you have already watched the police procedural. You must know that it’s the character portrayed by Richard Belzer. It seems like he must have a valid reason for parting ways with the same. What could it be? Before diving into further details, let’s have a look at the actor.
Richard Jay Belzer has done numerous films and series to date. Some of his notable works include- The Bonfire of the Vanities, Polish Bar, Gilbert, Not of this Earth, The Flash, E! True Hollywood Story, etc. Being a stand-up comedian too, Richard appeared on the very famous show Saturday Night Live for several seasons, more precisely from 1975 to 1980.
Did you know that Richard Belzer is also an author? He has penned books like- Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country’s Most Controversial Cover-Ups, Someone Is Hiding Something: What Happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?, and UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have to be Crazy to Believe. Have you read any of these mentioned ones?
Created by Dick Wolf, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) Season 24 is ongoing at present. Talking about his character in this legal thriller drama, John Munch is the DA investigator and also a Baltimore Police Department detective. Also, he believes in certain theories of conspiracy. The actor has left the same after Season 15, being right there since its inception. If you are looking for the reasons for John Munch’s departure, here are your answers.
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Reason Behind John Munch Leaving Law & Order: SVU Revealed
It was back in 2013 when the news of John Munch’s exit from Law & Order: SVU came out to the public, leaving everyone shocked. Initially, the reasons didn’t come out, until Dann Florek who played Captain Cragen also left the thriller drama series.
Why did Richard Belzer leave Law & Orders: SVU? The reason turned out to be meeting the real-life compulsory retirement age (that is 63 years) for the New York Police Department. Despite that, even after leaving the show, Richard continued making guest appearances in the same. How? With the role of special investigator for the DA’s office.
How did John Munch’s character end up getting played with Richard leaving in real? Well, the writers wanted to keep the story intact and also realistic. It showed John Munch getting retired from the SVU, ending his detective journey. Along with him, Cragen also ended up his journey and both were given retirement parties in the series, more specifically in Season 15. His last appearance as the regular cast was in an episode titled, “Wonderland Story.”
Also Read: Law & Order SVU Renewal: Season 24 Is Happening!
The reason for John Munch’s exit from SVU is the retirement age, and you must be wondering about the actor’s real age. Born on 4 August 1944, Richard Belzer is now 73 years old. Can you believe it? He is still that handsome and bold! Don’t you agree?
Initially, people were very disappointed with the end of Richard’s character in the series. However, later, when he continued to make special appearances, people just didn’t get relief but also enjoyed it a lot. He has been the only actor who has played the character of John Munch in so many spots, such as 30 Rock and Arrested Development, The Wire, etc. On this note, you must know that he didn’t get himself linked to only one network, that NBC, for this, but did for several other channels. That is highly appreciable!
Meanwhile, in 2007, Richard Belzer’s role as John Munch got diminished. People started wondering the reason, but the change has been reported to hurt him a bit. Because of that, some of them were highly disappointed too. Don’t you think it’s obvious?
People enjoyed his one-liners. No doubt, his legacy can still be felt and is badly missed from the show since his last appearances. Wishing Richard Belzer good luck for the rest of his life.
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