Richard Jeni
| Richard Jeni | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Birth name | Richard John Colangelo |
| Born | April 14, 1957[1] Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 2007 (aged 49) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Improv/Stand up |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1987–2007 |
| Notable works and roles |
Charlie in The Mask |
Richard John Colangelo (April 14, 1957[1] – March 10, 2007), better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni,[2] was an American stand-up comedian and actor.
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[edit] Early life
Raised in an Italian-American Roman Catholic family in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn,[3] he graduated with honors from Hunter College, earning a bachelor's degree in comparative politics.
[edit] 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.[4] 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. He appeared in The Aristocrats, Dad's Week Off, Burn, Hollywood, Burn, and Chasing Robert.[5] 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.[6]
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".[episode needed]
[edit] Death
On March 10, 2007, Jeni was found by his then girlfriend, Amy Murphy, who was a newscaster/weather anchor and reporter for KTTV in Los Angeles; she reportedly found him, with .38 caliber pistol in hand, with an apparent self-inflicted handgun wound to the face,[7] in the bedroom area of his West Hollywood, California condominium. Jeni and Murphy had reportedly been conversing just minutes earlier about his next career move, when she had reportedly gone to the kitchen of his apartment to cook breakfast for both of them at his request, when gunshots were heard by Murphy, who immediately dialed 911 for an emergency ambulance to arrive.
Police and paramedics arrived moments later at the scene; Jeni was still alive, but gravely injured when they arrived.[2] 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."[8] 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."[9] 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. The fifth episode of that show's fifth season was dedicated to Jeni's memory.
His interment was in New Dorp, New York's Moravian Cemetery.
[edit] Cultural Reference
Jeni is often credited as the originator of the popular catch phrase, "Thank you, Captain Obvious" which is derived from his 1992 HBO Special Platypus Man.[citation needed]
[edit] HBO specials
- Richard Jeni: Platypus Man (1992)
- Richard Jeni: A Good Catholic Boy (1997)
- Richard Jeni: A Big Steaming Pile of Me (2005)
[edit] Showtime specials
- Richard Jeni: Boy from New York City (1990)
- Richard Jeni: Crazy from The Heat (1992)
[edit] Filmography
- Bird (1988) as Morello
- The Mask (1994) as Charlie Schumaker
- Dad's Week Off (1997) as Bernie
- An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998) as Jerry Glover
- Chasing Robert (2007) as Rich the Bookie
[edit] References
- ^ a b DOB according to Jeni's Website and Social Security Death Index.
- ^ a b Ryan, Jack (June 27, 2007). "A Comedian's Sad Demise - Coroner: Before suicide, Richard Jeni was involuntarily hospitalized". The Smoking Gun. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0627071jeni1.html. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
- ^ "Richard Jeni". 2007. Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20061016052528/http://www.barberusa.com/comedy/richard-jeni.html. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
- ^ ""Platypus Man" at IMDB". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112124/.
- ^ "Chasing Robert". http://www.chasingrobert.com.
- ^ ""Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time" at IMDB". http://www.respectance.com/Richard_Jeni/.
- ^ BBC News (12 March 2007). "US comic dies in apparent suicide". BBC News: Entertainment. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6440961.stm. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- ^ "Family Says Jeni Committed Suicide." Associated Press via Washington Post. March 13, 2007. Retrieved on March 13, 2007.
- ^ "Coroner's Report: Jeni Was Mentally Ill." Associated Press via Washington Post. June 29, 2007. Retrieved on August 16, 2009.
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Richard Jeni |
- Richard Jeni at Find a Grave
- Richard Jeni at the Internet Movie Database
- RichardJeni.com - Official site
