Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens was an American actor and comedian.

Reubens died on July 31, 2023 from cancer at the age of 70.

Other roles
Reubens was best known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman. In the 1970s, he joined the Los Angeles troupe the Groundlings as a stage actor, and developed the Pee-Wee character in collaboration with the group. After a failed audition for NBC's Saturday Night Live, Reubens debuted a stage show starring Pee-wee, The Pee-wee Herman Show, which was a parody of 1950s kids shows and premiered in 1981. Pee-wee became an instant cult figure and, for the next decade, Reubens was completely committed to his character, doing all of his public appearances and interviews as Pee-wee. In 1985, he produced and starred in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, which was a financial and critical success. Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), was less successful. Between 1986 and 1990, Reubens starred as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.

In 1991, reruns of Pee-wee's Playhouse were cancelled on CBS, after Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarsota, Florida, which caused a chain reaction of national media attention, although Reubens received support from both people in the entertainment industry and his own fans. The arrest postponed Reuben's involvement in major projects until 1999, when he appeared in several big-budget projects including Mystery Men (1999) and Blow (2001). Reubens subsequently started giving interviews as himself rather than as Pee-wee.

In 2010, he revived The Pee-wee Herman Show, which he performed in Los Angeles and on Broadway. In 2016, he co-wrote and starred in the Netflix original film Pee-wee's Big Holiday, reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman for the last time before his passing.