 " Gone for Goode " marks the first performance of Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch , a character the actor has played in more than 300 television episodes in a number of shows , including Homicide and Law & Order : Special Victims Unit . Levinson said Belzer was a " lousy actor " during his first audition with the " Gone for Goode " script . Levinson asked Belzer to take some time to reread and practice the material , then come back and read it again . During his second reading , Levinson said Belzer was " still terrible " , but that the actor eventually found confidence in his performance . " Gone for Goode " included guest appearances by actors who later become much more widely known . Steve Harris , who later achieved fame playing Eugene Young on the ABC legal drama The Practice , played an uncooperative suspect who repeatedly lies to Munch during questioning . Alexander Chaplin , who later played speechwriter James Hobert on the ABC sitcom Spin City , portrayed the alleged murderer Johnny in " Gone for Goode " . The comedic confession scenes involving Jim Grollman as accused murderer Jerry Jempson were almost entirely improvised . 
