Comedic actor Paul Reubens, known for his iconic character “Pee-wee Herman,” passed away at age 70.
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” an Instagram post on the Pee-wee Herman account revealed.
Reubens began his brilliant comedic career as a member of The Groundlings improv and sketch troupe in Los Angeles. His legendary character, Pee Wee Herman, was Reubens’ biggest sensation, though he flexed some serious acting muscle in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gotham” as well as television shows such as “The Blacklist.”
Reubens was notoriously arrested in a Sarasota, Fla., porn theatre (you can read why he was arrested here) back in 1991. Some believed he planned to get arrested to shake off the Pee-wee Herman character, but it was later revealed that he got busted during a random police raid.
After the arrest, Pee-wee Herman jokes became all the rage, such as this one: What are Pee Wee Herman’s favorite baseball teams? The Expos and the Yankees.
FACT-O-RAMA! For younger readers, the Montreal Expos was a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, though not as successful as the Montreal Canadiens.
Reubens withdrew for months as the humor flew. He re-appeared as his Pee-wee Herman character on an MTV awards show — to thunderous applause — and quipped, “Heard any good jokes lately? So funny I forgot to laugh.”
On Instagram, Reubens thanked his fans and apologized for not revealing that he had been fighting cancer. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you,” he posted.
Reubens will best be remembered for his film, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (with director Tim Burton), his TV show, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” and his Netflix movie, “Pee-wee’s Holiday.”
In 2010, Reubens debuted “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” a live Broadway spectacle that was eventually filmed for HBO. It earned him an Emmy Award nod for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.
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Reubens requested that any donations be made to Stand Up to Cancer or any organization that deals with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia-related illness in honor of his parents, Judy and Milton Rubenfeld.
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