- Richard Belzer was a comedian and actor, most well-known for his role on ‘Law & Order: SVU.’
- Richard was married to model and actress Harlee McBride for over 30 years.
- Before Harlee, Richard was married twice.
- Richard died at 78 on February 19, 2023.
Richard Belzer was a TV icon. After kicking off his career as a standup comedian in the 1970s, Richard went on to a variety of film and TV roles, but some of his most recognizable characters came in the 90s. He joined the cast of Homicide: Life on the Street in 1993, where he remained until 1999, when he was cast as the beloved Detective Munch in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He remained in the cast until 2013, and it became one of his most well-known roles. He continued to make guest appearances as Munch until he retired from acting in 2016. Richard died following health complications on Sunday, February 19. He was 78.
Throughout his life, Richard was married three times. His first two marriages ended in divorce, but he wed model Harlee McBride in 1985, and the pair remained wed until his death. Find out everything you need to know about Harlee and Richard’s prior two marriages here.
Harlee McBride
Before Richard rose to fame as Munch, he met model and actress Harlee McBride, 74. Harlee had appeared in Playboy and was most well-known for her appearance in the 1977 film Young Lady Chatterley. She went on to appear in the 1985 sequel as well. Before she met Richard, she had been married to Garth Benton, with whom she had two daughters Bree Benton and Jessica Erin, per IMDb. Richard became a stepfather to the two girls when he and Harlee got married.
The pair met in 1981 in Los Angeles, when Harlee was appearing in commercials and Richard was performing at comedy clubs. The model said after her divorce she enjoyed going to clubs when friends introduced her to Richard, according to The Baltimore Sun. McBride had opened up about how passionate she was about her husband’s drive in an interview with the magazine. “No matter what happens, his will is so strong,” she said.
Richard and Harlee tied the knot in 1985, and a few years into their marriage, they even got to work together on his breakout role in Homicide: Life On The Street. While the actor was already establishing himself as the beloved Det. Munch, his wife guest-starred in 22 episodes as Dr. Alyssa Dyer.
Dalia Danoch
Before he met Harlee, Richard was briefly married to Dalia Danoch, when he was beginning his comedy and acting career. The pair were only married from 1976 until they divorced in 1978. There are not many details about Dalia, but she was reportedly a boutique manager, per Opoyi.
Gail Susan Ross
Richard’s first marriage came when he was young. At 22, he married Gail Susan Ross in 1966. The pair were wed until they divorced in 1972, which was around the time that Richard began his comedy career. Not much is known about Gail and their marriage, but she was reportedly a media attorney, according to the Digital Global Times.