Hargitay opened up about how she and her co-stars are coping with the loss nearly a year after his passing.

Nearly a year after his passing in February 2023, Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson) opened up about how the SVU actors are preserving his legacy while on set.

“Belzer’s so deeply embedded and enmeshed in my heart. I think of him with such fondness. He has shored me up and I have so many memories of him. We talk about him all the time. It’s like he’s still here,” she told E! in January 2024.

Kelli Giddish (Amanda Rollins) also added, “I’m just beyond grateful to know him. He was really instrumental in laying the footing for me when I got on the show. I deeply feel joy and pride by being part of this legacy,” she said.

Mariska Hargitay and Richard Belzer

SVU stars pay tribute Richard Belzer
Shortly after the news of Belzer’s passing broke last year, Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni (Elliot Stabler), and Ice T (Fin Tutuola) took to social media to honor the late actor, who played Det. Munch from 1999 to 2016.

“Goodbye my dear, dear friend. I will miss you, your unique light, and your singular take on this strange world. I feel blessed to have known you and adored you and worked with you, side by side, for so many years. How lucky the angels are to have you. I can hear them laughing already. I love you so very much, now and forever,” Hargitay wrote in a heartfelt post.

Meloni shared a snapshot of him and Belzer posing with their arms around each other.

“Richard ‘The Belz’ Belzer. A beautiful soul, a dapper dresser, with the spirit of a child. Never met anyone like him, and I never will again. Ur last words have helped make ur passing easier to take,” he captioned his post.

Detective John Munch Detective Fin Tutuola. and Captain Cragen on Law And Order Svu Episode 1505

Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer), Detective Odafin ‘Fin’ Tutuola. (Ice -T) and Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 15 Episode 5. Photo: Michael Parmelee/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Meanwhile, Ice T posted a moment of him and Belzer in character while on set.

“Highs and Lows… After one of the most amazing weeks of my life. I wake up to the news I lost my friend today. Belz is gone.. Damn it! But remember this..’When you ARE having real fun and are Truly Happy. ENJOY it to the fullest! Cause Pain is inevitably coming.’ I’ll miss you Homie 🙏” he wrote on his photo.

Executive Producer Dick Wolf spoke to People about what Belzer meant to the SVU universe. ”Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional, and we will all miss him very much,” he said.