Stand-Up Comedian Richard Jeni Dies In Apparent Suicide
Posted March 12, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
You may not know his name, but Richard Jeni has probably made you laugh at least once or twice.
The standup comedian, a frequent guest on the Tonight Show and the star of several comedy specials and a short-lived sitcom, died this weekend of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Police were called to a West Hollywood home Saturday upon receiving a call from the 49-year-old’s girlfriend, Norma Eisenman, who told police, “My boyfriend shot himself in the face.”
He was alive but seriously injured when officers arrived, and he died shortly thereafter in hospital.
According to Eisenman police have not officially confirmed the death as a suicide, and are still investigating the matter. An autopsy was to be performed on Jeni Monday.
The comic had recently gone on tour with his standup act, and most recently appeared in the HBO comedy special A Big Steaming Pile of Me.
A previous special, Platypus Man, won a Cable ACE award and was the basis for a UPN sitcom, which ran for only one season.
Jeni also made regular Tonight Show appearances when Johnny Carson was host, and continued the tradition after Jay Leno took over.
Born in Brooklyn, he was first noticed in 1990 for his special Richard Jeni: Boy From New York City, following that up with the immensely popular Crazy From the Heat.
Fellow comedian Frazer Smith said up-and-coming comedians were inspired by him.
“He was probably one of the best standup comedians in the last 50 years,” he said. “He had tons and tons of material. He was looked up to by all the young comedians, a total pro.”
Jeni appeared in films including The Mask, The Aristocrats, and National Lampoon’s Dad’s Week Off. He also wrote material for Chris Rock’s turn hosting the Academy Awards in 2005.
Image credit: Scott Gries, Getty Images Entertainment
