He’s been Detective John Munch since “Law & Order: SVU” got started in 1999, and now it’s time for Richard Belzer to move on.

The 69-year-old actor will officially be done with the gig after the October 16th episode, though he’ll likely return for guest spots in future seasons.

Interestingly enough, Belzer created the Munch character for a show called “Homicide: Life on the Street” back in 1993, and then brought it with him for SVU.

Additionally, Richard has appeared on “The Beat,” “The Wire,” and “The X Files,” as Munch, making him a fairly prolific pop culture personality.