Richard John Colangelo (April 14, 1957 – March 10, 2007), better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni, was an American stand-up comedian and actor.

Biography

Raised in an Italian-American family in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, he graduated with honors from Hunter College, earning a bachelor's degree in Comparative Politics.

Jeni first received recognition through a series of Showtime stand-up specials and frequent appearances on The Tonight Show. Top executives at HBO noticed Jeni's talent, and he was soon picked up for 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 appear in the Jim Carrey film The Mask. Jeni composed the theme song ("I'm A Platypus Man") for his TV series. He also appeared in The Aristocrats, National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off, and Burn, Hollywood, Burn. He also 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.

Jeni appeared on The Tonight Show more than any other stand-up comedian, dating back to when the program was hosted by Johnny Carson. 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; he served on the panel responsible for this ranking.

Death
On March 10, 2007, Jeni was found by his girlfriend with an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound to the facial area[7] in West Hollywood, California. Police found him alive, but gravely injured when they arrived. He was quickly transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he died. Suicide was suspected but was not officially confirmed by police.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 bouts of psychotic paranoia."

In America, Jeni's passing was marked by many homages, including specials on XM Satellite Radio, and Bill Maher's HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher (Season 5, Episode 5) being dedicated to Jeni's memory.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jeni