Belzer proud of John Munch character

NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Actor Richard Belzer says he does not think it's just novelty that his Detective John Munch character has appeared on 10 different U.S. TV series.

The 64-year-old actor said his popular role has surfaced in series beyond "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Homicide: Life on the Street" because of the character's intriguing persona, the New York Post reported Sunday.

"People are so enamored of the character that when they see in a script, 'detective,' they think, 'let's bring Belzer in.' They did that on 'The X-Files,' on 'Arrested Development,' on 'Sesame Street.' It's been so much fun," he told the Post.

The actor also spoke out about his own personal battle with testicular cancer, which he said changed the way he viewed the world and his everyday life.

"It was very sobering and you do learn to value things you hadn't before, but life is so complex. You still have to earn everything," Belzer, who has also played Munch on "The Beat" and "The Wire," told the newspaper. "I wouldn't recommend having cancer for the wisdom."