Richard Jeni, 45, Comedian

Richard Jeni, a standup comedian who played to sold-out crowds, was a regular on the "Tonight Show," and appeared in movies, died of a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, police in Hollywood said yesterday.

A Brooklyn native, Jeni toured the country with a standup act and starred in several HBO comedy specials, most recently "A Big Steaming Pile of Me" during the 2005–06 season.

Another HBO special, "Platypus Man," won a Cable ACE award for best standup comedy special, and formed the basis for his UPN sitcom of the same name, which ran for one season.

Jeni's movie credits included "The Mask," "The Aristocrats," and "National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off."

He had guest appearances in the TV shows "Everybody Hates Chris," "Married: With Children," and updated versions of the game shows "Hollywood Squares" and "Match Game."