Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion (24 page)
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Authors: Susan Green,Randee Dawn
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Selected Other Credits:
(Film)
Sweet Liberty
(Jesse, 1986); (TV)
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
(Abraham Lincoln, 1998),
L.A. Law
(David Meyer, 1988−93)
(Film)
Sweet Liberty
(Jesse, 1986); (TV)
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
(Abraham Lincoln, 1998),
L.A. Law
(David Meyer, 1988−93)
Dann Florek (Capt. Donald Cragen)
Upcoming Project:
(Film)
Thira
(Trent Parker, 2008)
Just the FactsUpcoming Project:
(Film)
Thira
(Trent Parker, 2008)
About Florek:
After an early start as a musician in the 1970s, Dann Florek alternated between theater, small feature film parts, and TV spots throughout the 1980s, first truly standing out as nebbishy Dave Meyer on
L.A. Law
. But once
Law & Order
got hold of him, it’s been hard for the showrunners—or Florek himself—to disentangle for long. He originated the role of Capt. Don Cragen on the original
Law & Order
until he was ousted on orders from the network to beef up the female component on the show.
After an early start as a musician in the 1970s, Dann Florek alternated between theater, small feature film parts, and TV spots throughout the 1980s, first truly standing out as nebbishy Dave Meyer on
L.A. Law
. But once
Law & Order
got hold of him, it’s been hard for the showrunners—or Florek himself—to disentangle for long. He originated the role of Capt. Don Cragen on the original
Law & Order
until he was ousted on orders from the network to beef up the female component on the show.
Nevertheless, he retained a friendly relationship with creator Dick Wolf, and Florek has directed three episodes of the Mother Ship over the years, as well as appearing occasionally back on his home turf. “The odd part was I was trying to get off the (original) show for a while, because I said, ‘You’re not using me.’ And they said ‘no,’ and the next thing I knew it was like, ‘You’re off the show, because we’re bringing in women’ or whatever,” he says. While away from the L&O family, Florek continued his TV/feature roles, but when Dick Wolf created
SVU
, Florek was first on board.
SVU
, Florek was first on board.
About Cragen:
Cragen’s backstory includes his
L&O
days, including his alcoholism recovery, but his marital status changed abruptly when he first appeared on
SVU
—his wife Marge, once even seen in a Mother Ship episode, was said to have died in a plane crash. There’s some confusion over whether his alma mater is St. Raymond’s or St. John’s but a few other things are clear: He likes his snacks, attends AA, is childless, and has issues with the psychiatric profession. Cragen has alluded to fighting in Vietnam, and for a time would pop open a switchblade while thinking (“I liked it but the network said we can’t have a captain with a knife,” Florek says).
Cragen’s backstory includes his
L&O
days, including his alcoholism recovery, but his marital status changed abruptly when he first appeared on
SVU
—his wife Marge, once even seen in a Mother Ship episode, was said to have died in a plane crash. There’s some confusion over whether his alma mater is St. Raymond’s or St. John’s but a few other things are clear: He likes his snacks, attends AA, is childless, and has issues with the psychiatric profession. Cragen has alluded to fighting in Vietnam, and for a time would pop open a switchblade while thinking (“I liked it but the network said we can’t have a captain with a knife,” Florek says).
He’s also loyal to his underlings, despite the fact that they routinely violate his orders. “Everyone refers to him as ‘no-nonsense,’” says Florek. “I try to take that literally—the clothes are Brooks Brothers; it’s something simple. He’s a cop, he’s a father figure, he’s a politician, he’s a rabbi, he’s a mentor. I always like to think he was kind of a rogue guy himself. He’s a guy you think is sitting in the corner and not paying attention, but he knows every fucking thing going on in the room. He knows what you said, he knows what you think you said, and if push comes to shove, he might be able to break your arm.”
The Rest of the StoryThe backbone of
SVU
may well be Detectives Benson and Stabler, but Cragen was the first one cast, bringing Florek back to a franchise he never thought he’d be fully involved with again.
SVU
may well be Detectives Benson and Stabler, but Cragen was the first one cast, bringing Florek back to a franchise he never thought he’d be fully involved with again.
Not long after appearing in
Exiled: A Law & Order Movie
, Florek got the call to appear in the new show,
Sex Crimes
(as
SVU
was being called then), and says he had to think about it: “My problem initially was I never felt I had enough to do. So if there was more to do, and I could really get my hands dirty, that would be great. And also, it was like going to the closet and pulling out an old suit—I didn’t know if it was going to fit. And then when I did put it on it not only still fit, but it felt better.”
Exiled: A Law & Order Movie
, Florek got the call to appear in the new show,
Sex Crimes
(as
SVU
was being called then), and says he had to think about it: “My problem initially was I never felt I had enough to do. So if there was more to do, and I could really get my hands dirty, that would be great. And also, it was like going to the closet and pulling out an old suit—I didn’t know if it was going to fit. And then when I did put it on it not only still fit, but it felt better.”
Being on
SVU
, he says, is “the best set I’ve ever worked in, ever, in television and film.” And that includes the last
L&O
set, which in its early days featured fractious actors trying to establish a hierarchy within a format that had only just been created. “Part of it was we were going up a mountain and we didn’t know if you slipped and you fell if someone was going to catch you,” he remembers. “That’s almost completely antithetical here, now.”
SVU
, he says, is “the best set I’ve ever worked in, ever, in television and film.” And that includes the last
L&O
set, which in its early days featured fractious actors trying to establish a hierarchy within a format that had only just been created. “Part of it was we were going up a mountain and we didn’t know if you slipped and you fell if someone was going to catch you,” he remembers. “That’s almost completely antithetical here, now.”
Not that it’s been smooth sailing at
SVU
from day one, either. Florek acknowledges that some of the series’ weakest episodes came out of that first season, but he had the sense that “we were on to something. . . . I never felt they were going to pull the plug on us.” In that first season, he says people would hear which show he worked for and would say, “You’re on the bad
Law & Order
.” And by the fifth season, that had changed: “All I heard people talking about was
SVU
and ‘the old one.’”
SVU
from day one, either. Florek acknowledges that some of the series’ weakest episodes came out of that first season, but he had the sense that “we were on to something. . . . I never felt they were going to pull the plug on us.” In that first season, he says people would hear which show he worked for and would say, “You’re on the bad
Law & Order
.” And by the fifth season, that had changed: “All I heard people talking about was
SVU
and ‘the old one.’”
When asked how long he plans to stick around in the
SVU
squad room, Florek recalls the late Jerry Orbach (
Law & Order
’s Lennie Briscoe), who used to say “never leave a hit show.” Florek signed a three-year contract in 2008, so there’s nothing much to discuss at the moment. But in the end, he admits, “I’m a blue-collar workhorse. I’m a pro. I do the best I can and I’m always prepared. I look at it from episode to episode. I never thought nineteen years later I’d still be wearing this suit. But this show is as consistently good as anything that’s ever been on, and if they keep on pumping out great stories and keep giving me enough to do, what’s wrong with that?”
Richard Belzer (Det. Sgt. John Munch, 1999−Present)SVU
squad room, Florek recalls the late Jerry Orbach (
Law & Order
’s Lennie Briscoe), who used to say “never leave a hit show.” Florek signed a three-year contract in 2008, so there’s nothing much to discuss at the moment. But in the end, he admits, “I’m a blue-collar workhorse. I’m a pro. I do the best I can and I’m always prepared. I look at it from episode to episode. I never thought nineteen years later I’d still be wearing this suit. But this show is as consistently good as anything that’s ever been on, and if they keep on pumping out great stories and keep giving me enough to do, what’s wrong with that?”
Originally From:
Connecticut
Connecticut
Other Wolf Films Associations: Law & Order: Trial By Jury
(Det. John Munch, “Skeleton,” 2005);
Law & Order
(Det. John Munch, crossover episodes with
Homicide: Life on the Street
: “Entitled, Part 2,” 2000; “Sideshow,” 1999; “Baby, It’s You,” 1997; “Charm City,” 1996)
(Det. John Munch, “Skeleton,” 2005);
Law & Order
(Det. John Munch, crossover episodes with
Homicide: Life on the Street
: “Entitled, Part 2,” 2000; “Sideshow,” 1999; “Baby, It’s You,” 1997; “Charm City,” 1996)
Selected Other Credits:
(Film)
The Groove Tube
(various, 1974); (TV)
Homicide: Life on the Street
(Det. John Munch, 1993−99),
Saturday Night Live
(various episodes, 1975−1980; also served as warm-up comedian in the show’s first season); (Books)
I Am Not A Cop!: A Novel
(with Michael Black, 2008),
Momentum: The Struggle for Peace, Politics, and the People
(By Belzer and Marjorie Mowlam, 2002),
UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have To Be Crazy To Believe
(1999),
How to Be a Stand-Up Comic
(1988)
Upcoming Project:
Belzer is working on a musical version of Jerry Lewis’ 1963 classic
The Nutty Professor
with the octogenarian.
(Film)
The Groove Tube
(various, 1974); (TV)
Homicide: Life on the Street
(Det. John Munch, 1993−99),
Saturday Night Live
(various episodes, 1975−1980; also served as warm-up comedian in the show’s first season); (Books)
I Am Not A Cop!: A Novel
(with Michael Black, 2008),
Momentum: The Struggle for Peace, Politics, and the People
(By Belzer and Marjorie Mowlam, 2002),
UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have To Be Crazy To Believe
(1999),
How to Be a Stand-Up Comic
(1988)
Upcoming Project:
Belzer is working on a musical version of Jerry Lewis’ 1963 classic
The Nutty Professor
with the octogenarian.
Richard Belzer (Det. John Munch)
Just the FactsAbout Belzer:
“A lot of Munch is me, except that I’ve been happily married for twenty-four years. He’s a little more depressed and cynical than I really am, but it’s very close to how I was at one time. And all the conspiracy stuff is right up my alley.” So says the comedian-turned-actor, who has been a presence on the stand-up comedy circuit, in films, and on TV since the 1970s. He’s been on
National Lampoon
albums, had his own radio and cable TV shows (in 1985, on
Hot Properties
he was notoriously put in a sleeper hold by Hulk Hogan and passed out on camera; the ensuing lawsuit was settled). Belzer has authored four books (including one on conspiracy theories).
“A lot of Munch is me, except that I’ve been happily married for twenty-four years. He’s a little more depressed and cynical than I really am, but it’s very close to how I was at one time. And all the conspiracy stuff is right up my alley.” So says the comedian-turned-actor, who has been a presence on the stand-up comedy circuit, in films, and on TV since the 1970s. He’s been on
National Lampoon
albums, had his own radio and cable TV shows (in 1985, on
Hot Properties
he was notoriously put in a sleeper hold by Hulk Hogan and passed out on camera; the ensuing lawsuit was settled). Belzer has authored four books (including one on conspiracy theories).
But in the 1990s he was cast on the gritty NBC Baltimore cop drama
Homicide: Life on the Street
as Det. John Munch, and attributes landing the role to putting a different spin on the character. Left in a room with other aspiring Munch actors’ audition tapes, he watched some: “Every one played it dead serious, earnest, and I brought this comic madness that I saw in the character, and the person my character is loosely based on (Sgt. Jay Landsman) is like that, too.”
Homicide: Life on the Street
as Det. John Munch, and attributes landing the role to putting a different spin on the character. Left in a room with other aspiring Munch actors’ audition tapes, he watched some: “Every one played it dead serious, earnest, and I brought this comic madness that I saw in the character, and the person my character is loosely based on (Sgt. Jay Landsman) is like that, too.”
Real life and fictional personalities merged and he has since become not only the longest-running character on U.S. primetime TV, but also the only fictional TV character to play the same role on eight series in total (
Law & Order
,
The X-File
s,
The Beat
,
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
,
Arrested Development
,
The Wire
, and of course,
Law & Order: SVU
). So when will the character be done for him? “When the fan mail stops, I guess,” Belzer says.
Law & Order
,
The X-File
s,
The Beat
,
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
,
Arrested Development
,
The Wire
, and of course,
Law & Order: SVU
). So when will the character be done for him? “When the fan mail stops, I guess,” Belzer says.
About Munch:
Munch was established during his
Homicide
days, namely that the character is a former hippie with a cynical streak—who became a Baltimore homicide detective. He’s had a string of bad romances and four marriages and flirts incessantly with the ladies, but he’s not a cad—just unlucky—and his softer side emerges when the women in his life seem to need him.
Munch was established during his
Homicide
days, namely that the character is a former hippie with a cynical streak—who became a Baltimore homicide detective. He’s had a string of bad romances and four marriages and flirts incessantly with the ladies, but he’s not a cad—just unlucky—and his softer side emerges when the women in his life seem to need him.
He’s originally from New York City’s Lower East Side, speaks semi-fluent Russian, and became a sergeant in season nine after taking the exam a year earlier. He lives at 80 West 183
rd
St. According to David P. Kalat’s
Homicide: Life on the Streets, The Unofficial Companion
, Munch’s father was a “cop, killed in the line of duty, and that led the one-time hippie to join the force himself.” On
SVU
, however, Munch had an emotional scene in season five where he explains his father committed suicide (a detail that is true in Belzer’s real life, as well); later on it is reiterated that Munch was thirteen when that happened. Regardless, Munch remains both the resident conspiracy theorist, sometime court jester, and always compelling presence in the squad room.
The Rest of the Storyrd
St. According to David P. Kalat’s
Homicide: Life on the Streets, The Unofficial Companion
, Munch’s father was a “cop, killed in the line of duty, and that led the one-time hippie to join the force himself.” On
SVU
, however, Munch had an emotional scene in season five where he explains his father committed suicide (a detail that is true in Belzer’s real life, as well); later on it is reiterated that Munch was thirteen when that happened. Regardless, Munch remains both the resident conspiracy theorist, sometime court jester, and always compelling presence in the squad room.
Without Howard Stern,
Homicide
executive producer Barry Levinson might never have heard enough Richard Belzer (who regularly appears on Stern’s radio show) to consider him for the part way back when. But thanks to that concordance, Belzer went in for the role and, despite network brass’s desire to cast someone like Jason Priestley, he was in. But when
Homicide
was canceled, Belzer wasn’t ready to see the character ride off into the sunset and asked his manager to call Dick Wolf to see if Munch could become Lennie Briscoe’s new partner on
L&O
when Benjamin Bratt exited. Jesse Martin had already been cast—though the mind reels at imagining Munch and Briscoe hitting the streets on a weekly basis—and Belzer came up with Plan B: The new sex crimes show Wolf was developing.
Homicide
executive producer Barry Levinson might never have heard enough Richard Belzer (who regularly appears on Stern’s radio show) to consider him for the part way back when. But thanks to that concordance, Belzer went in for the role and, despite network brass’s desire to cast someone like Jason Priestley, he was in. But when
Homicide
was canceled, Belzer wasn’t ready to see the character ride off into the sunset and asked his manager to call Dick Wolf to see if Munch could become Lennie Briscoe’s new partner on
L&O
when Benjamin Bratt exited. Jesse Martin had already been cast—though the mind reels at imagining Munch and Briscoe hitting the streets on a weekly basis—and Belzer came up with Plan B: The new sex crimes show Wolf was developing.
Wolf loved that idea, too, but there was still another obstacle to overcome: licensing. Munch was a character owned, in part, by several individuals and entities. The legal setup of how Munch came to
SVU
is something of a
Rashomon
situation, but in essence it required agreements from David Simon (who created Munch based on a real-life homicide sergeant named Jay Landsman in his book,
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
, which ultimately became
Homicide
) and Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson (who brought
Homicide
to the small screen). Notes Fontana, he and Levinson waived their royalties. Now, he jokes, “If I’d known (
SVU
) was going to run this long, perhaps I wouldn’t have been so generous with my money!” He laughs. “But no, I’m happy we did it.” In Simon’s case, his contracts had clauses dealing with spin-offs from his book, and with Munch a main character on a new show, that clause kicked in. Simon gets certain royalties every time Munch appears on
SVU
.
SVU
is something of a
Rashomon
situation, but in essence it required agreements from David Simon (who created Munch based on a real-life homicide sergeant named Jay Landsman in his book,
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
, which ultimately became
Homicide
) and Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson (who brought
Homicide
to the small screen). Notes Fontana, he and Levinson waived their royalties. Now, he jokes, “If I’d known (
SVU
) was going to run this long, perhaps I wouldn’t have been so generous with my money!” He laughs. “But no, I’m happy we did it.” In Simon’s case, his contracts had clauses dealing with spin-offs from his book, and with Munch a main character on a new show, that clause kicked in. Simon gets certain royalties every time Munch appears on
SVU
.
So, nearly ten years later, Munch remains on
SVU
, and over the years, he’s been instrumental in finding roles for his fellow comic friends on the show, including Jerry Lewis (who played Munch’s uncle in season eight) and his real-life cousin, Henry Winkler. But not all professional humorists are made for dramaturgy, he admits: “A lot of comics are wonderful comics but they’re not good actors, and a lot of famous comedians can’t act. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am, and how thankful. Not that I don’t have talent, but in this business it’s full of sharp turns and chances. I was on the radio, I got
Homicide
, who would have known? My career was fine before that, but then it kicked into another hemisphere.”
SVU
, and over the years, he’s been instrumental in finding roles for his fellow comic friends on the show, including Jerry Lewis (who played Munch’s uncle in season eight) and his real-life cousin, Henry Winkler. But not all professional humorists are made for dramaturgy, he admits: “A lot of comics are wonderful comics but they’re not good actors, and a lot of famous comedians can’t act. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am, and how thankful. Not that I don’t have talent, but in this business it’s full of sharp turns and chances. I was on the radio, I got
Homicide
, who would have known? My career was fine before that, but then it kicked into another hemisphere.”
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