Mariska Hargitay Honors Late ‘Legislation & Order’ Costar Richard Belzer – Hotness Everywhere | Hollywood Gossip

Mourning a heartbreaking loss. Mariska Hargitay opened up in regards to the demise of longtime good friend and Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit costar Richard Belzer simply days after his demise. 

“What a coronary heart and soul,” Hargitay, 59, stated throughout a Thursday, February 23, look on the Immediately present. “He was household and taught me a lot about taking dangers and creativity and belief, and he introduced a lot pleasure to the set.”

SVU author Invoice Scheft confirmed the information of Belzer’s demise to The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday, February 19. “He had a number of well being points, and his final phrases have been, ‘F—ok you, motherf—ker,’” Scheft stated on the time. Belzer died peacefully in his sleep whereas house in France along with his household by his aspect. He was 78. 

“He was simply such a lovely and complicated [person], and it was such a privilege to know him,” the Leaving Las Vegas star advised host Savannah Guthrie on Thursday. “And boy, did this man love kids. He was this acerbic, quick-witted, sensible thoughts, and but he would soften within the sight of a kid.”

Whereas the Groove Tube alum by no means had any organic youngsters of his personal, he was a proud stepfather to spouse Harlee McBride’s two daughters from a earlier marriage, Jessica and Bree Benton. (Belzer married thrice all through his life: to Gail Susan Ross from 1966 to 1972 and to Dalia Danoch from 1976 to 1978. He settled down with McBride 5 years later.)

Belzer’s most well-known position was as Legislation & Order’s Detective John Munch. He originated the character on Murder: Life on the Road in 1993 and appeared in 119 episodes of the collection till it resulted in 1999. The Connecticut native then reprised Munch on SVU reverse Hargitay from 1999 to 2016, showing in a complete of 242 episodes of the NBC crime drama.

Following his demise on Sunday, Hargitay took to social media to share a touching tribute to her longtime coworker and good friend. 

“Goodbye my pricey, pricey good friend. I’ll miss you, your distinctive gentle, and your singular tackle this unusual world,” she wrote through Instagram on the time. “I really feel blessed to have recognized you and adored you and labored with you, aspect by aspect, for thus a few years.”

She concluded the put up by saying, “How fortunate the angels are to have you ever. I really like you so very a lot, now and endlessly.” 

Christopher Meloni, who starred on the hit NBC collection from 1999 to 2011 earlier than his season 12 exit, additionally honored his pal on Sunday, tweeting a photograph of Hargitay feeding Belzer whereas on set. 

Later within the day, the Oz alum posted a photograph of himself through Twitter kissing the Fame star on the cheek. “Good bye mon ami. I really like you,” he wrote, together with the hashtag #TheBelz,” he captioned the candy snap.