by Richard Belzer, known for his role on the hit television series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” has died at the age of 78, a friend of the actor confirmed to Fox News Digital on Sunday.
Belzer received dozens of tributes on social media and many stories emerged about the famous actor. Belzer’s fans and professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan remembered the incident which led to a lawsuit.
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Richard Belzer attends a special screening of “Blood Diamond” in New York on November 30, 2006. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)
Belzer was the host of the “Hot Properties” show in the mid-1980s, and in one episode, Hogan and Mr. T were on the show to promote the first WrestleMania. To prove that professional wrestling wasn’t fake, Hogan gave Belzer a frontal chinlock and the actor passed out and fell to the ground.
Belzer would be briefly knocked out and Hogan helped him up.
The incident would lead to a lawsuit by Belzer against Hogan, Mr. T, Vince McMahon, and WWE (which was known as the World Wrestling Federation at the time), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Belzer and the company would reportedly settle for $400,000 in 1990, which he would use for a house in France.
Hollywood Hulk Hogan is shown at WrestleMania X8. (George Pimentel/WireImage/Archive)
RICHARD BELZER FILLED BY MARISKA HARGITAY, CHRIS MELONI, BILLY CRYSTAL AND MORE
Belzer called the house Chez Hogan.
“He came very close to killing me,” Belzer told broadcaster Roy Firestone in 1990. “I was told by a sports medicine expert that if I had fallen an inch anyhow, I could have been crippled for life, I could have died.” .”
Belzer originated from the role of Munch on NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” in 1993, and later reprized the character on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” People magazine reported that he appeared in almost 330 episodes of “SVU” between 1999 and 2013 and made two additional cameo appearances in 2014 and 2016.
Comedian Richard Belzer attends the premiere of “Django Unchained” in New York on December 11, 2012. (Reuters/Andrew Kelly/File)
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He is survived by his wife, Harlee McBride. They married in 1985. The couple do not share biological children, but McBride has two from a previous marriage, Jessica and Shannon Benton.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
