Richard Jeni

Career

Jeni first received recognition through a series of Showtime stand-up specials and frequent appearances on The Tonight Show. Top executives at HBO picked up his first appearance on The HBO Comedy Hour in 1992, titled Richard Jeni: Platypus Man.
The show was well-received and Jeni would return for two more shows, going on to receive a CableACE Award for one of his HBO specials. Jeni would also star on the short-lived UPN sitcom Platypus Man and appeared in the Jim Carrey film The Mask. Jeni composed the theme song ("I'm A Platypus Man") for his TV series.[6] He appeared in The Aristocrats, Dad's Week Off, Burn, Hollywood, Burn, and Chasing Robert.[7] He starred in commercial campaigns for Certs and Arby's, and won a Clio Award for his work as a writer/performer in an advertising campaign for the American Dairy Association.
After making his "Tonight Show" debut in 1988 with Johnny Carson, Jeni appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno more than any other stand-up comedian. Jeni's death was referenced on the show by Jay Leno on March 12, 2007, with accompanying footage of Jeni's last appearance on The Tonight Show.
In 2004, Jeni was ranked #57 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.[8]
Jeni was also an occasional guest on The Howard Stern Show and in 2001 was one of the candidates to sit in the "Jackie Martling chair".


On March 10, 2007, Jeni was found by his girlfriend with an apparent self-inflicted handgun wound to the face,[9] in West Hollywood, California.[10] Police found him alive, but gravely injured when they arrived.[3] He was quickly transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he died. His family later stated with certainty that the death was in fact a suicide, and that Jeni had recently been diagnosed with "severe clinical depression coupled with fits of psychotic paranoia."[11] According to the coroner's report that was released in June 2007, Jeni had a history of schizophrenia and had been taking antidepressants and a sleeping aid. The report further indicated that his girlfriend heard him talking to himself about a week earlier, saying "just squeeze the trigger." [12] Jeni's death was marked by many tributes, including specials on XM Satellite Radio, Turner Classic Movie Channel, and Bill Maher's HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher (Season 5, Episode 5) being dedicated to Jeni's memory.