Comic Richard Jeni apparent suicide

LOS ANGELES, March 12 (UPI) -- An autopsy was scheduled for Monday on comedian Richard Jeni, who died in a Los Angeles hospital of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Los Angeles police said they were called to the comedian's home by a woman who said, according to police reports, "My boyfriend shot himself in the face," E! News said.

When police arrived at the scene Saturday morning, they found the performer still alive lying on the bathroom floor, said Los Angeles police officer Mike Lopez. He taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Jeni, 49, had been booked for a four-night appearance recently at the Improv in Chicago but backed out of the dates, club officials said.

Jeni played Jim Carrey's bank coworker in 1994's "The Mask," and starred in the 1995 UPN sitcom "Platypus Man," which was based on his stand-up comedy act. He also had three HBO comedy specials.

In 2004, a Comedy Central special ranked Jeni as the 57th greatest stand-up comic of all time, placing him ahead of Larry Miller and just behind "Saturday Night Live" alum Colin Quinn.