Richard Jeni, Comedian, Commits Suicide

Richard Jeni, a popular LA comedian who performed at Hollywood's Laugh Factory and appeared frequently on NBC's The Tonight Show, committed suicide on Saturday, police said.

Jeni was found in his home by police on Saturday after an emergency call. The caller, who was not identified by officials, told the operator, "My boyfriend shot himself in the face." He died less than an hour later at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. An autopsy to confirm the cause of death is still pending.

Although his website claims he is 45, the coroner's documents list Jeni as 50 years old.

Jeni broke into the national comedy scene in 1990 when he starred in his first Showtime special, "The Boy from New York City." Just two years later, Jeni's "Crazy From the Heat" became Showtime's highest-rated stand-up special.

Jeni went on to host several well-received HBO specials, and he wrote material for Academy Awards host, Chris Rock, in 2005. He also continuously appeared on The Tonight Show, first with invites from Johnny Carson and then with current host, Jay Leno.

Other accomplishments include roles in the films, The Mask, in the raunchy documentary The Aristocrats, and TV movie National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off.

In 1993, Jeni earned an American Comedy Award for funniest male stand-up comic. More than a decade later, Comedy Central rated him one of the 60 best stand-up comics.