Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman Actor, Dies at 70
Paul Reubens, the comedian/actor best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, has died. He was 70. Reubens’ death was confirmed in a post across his social media channels. The post…
Paul Reubens, the comedian/actor best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, has died. He was 70.
Reubens' death was confirmed in a post across his social media channels. The post says, in part, "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."
Reubens posthumously shared a personal statement telling fans, "Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years."
He continued, "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."
The post concludes, "Paul asked that any expressions of sympathy be made in honor of his late parents, Judy and Milton Rubenfeld, to Stand Up to Cancer or organizations involved in Dementia and Alzheimer's care, support and research."
The Pee-wee Herman character was created by Reubens and Phil Hartman when they were members of the Los Angeles-based sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings. The character evolved over time from a nightclub act into a popular children's character. In 1981, HBO aired The Pee-wee Herman Show, which was a stage show filmed at The Roxy in Los Angeles.
Of course, the Pee-wee Herman character really took off with the 1985 movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which served as the directorial debut of Tim Burton. The film evolved into a cult classic filled with numerous one-liners.
RELATED: Celebrity Deaths 2023: Musicians, Entertainers & Cultural Figures We Lost
The following year, the children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse premiered on CBS as part of the network's Saturday morning lineup. The show famously featured Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson in recurring roles of Cowboy Curtis and Reba the Mail Lady. During its five-season run from 1986-1990, Pee-wee's Playhouse won 15 Emmy Awards. During the run of the series, Big Top Pee-wee, the second film featuring the character, was released in 1988.
Reubens, however, started to shelve the iconic character shortly after his infamous 1991 arrest at an adult theater in Sarasota, Fla. It would be another 15 years before Reubens appeared as Herman publicly, which led to renewed interest in the character. This led to a new version of The Pee-wee Herman Show, which eventually had a run on Broadway. Following the stage show, a new Pee-wee film, Pee-wee's Big Holiday, premiered on Netflix in March 2016.
The Pee-wee character dominated Reubens' career, but he has plenty of other acting credits to his name. Reubens notably appeared in 1992's Batman Returns and the Fox series Gotham where he played Elijah Van Dahl, the father of Batman villain the Penguin. He also appeared in 1999's Mystery Men, 2001's Blow and in a number of TV shows including Murphy Brown, Dirt, Ally McBeal, 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies, The Blacklist and more.
Celebrity Deaths 2023: Musicians, Entertainers & Cultural Figures We Lost
We've already had to say goodbye to some big names this year in the worlds of entertainment and beyond.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the musicians, celebrities and other cultural figures we've lost so far in 2023.
Jeff Beck
Simone Joyner/Getty ImagesGuitar icon and two-time Rock &Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Lola Mitchell
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Republic RecordsGangsta Boo of Three 6 Mafia
Lisa Marie Presley
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for WonderwallSinger/songwriter and only child Elvis and Priscilla Presley.
Robbie Bachman
MercuryCo-founding member/drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive
David Crosby
Mike Windle/Getty ImagesSinger-songwriter best known for his work with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young)
Jeremiah Green, drummer for Modest Mouse
Jason Koerner/Getty ImagesDrummer for Modest Mouse.
Anita Pointer
Mike Windle/Getty Images for VFCFounding member of the Pointer Sisters.
Henry Grossman
Ben Gabbe/Getty ImagesCelebrity/Beatles Photographer
Art McNally
Nick Cammett/Getty Images“Father of Instant Replay” in the NFL
Adam Rich
Stephen Shugerman/Getty ImagesChild Star on ‘Eight Is Enough’
Gina Lollobrigida
Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesActress, international sex symbol, photojournalist and politician.
Lynette Hardaway (L)
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Save the Storks"Diamond" of conservative media personalities "Diamond and Silk"
Carl Hahn, former head of Volkswagen that helped popularize the VW Beetle
Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesFormer head of Volkswagen that helped popularize the VW Beetle.
Cindy Williams
Gary Gershoff/Getty ImagesActress best known for playing Shirley Feeney in the 1970s sitcom 'Laverne & Shirley.'
Burt Bacharach
Robert Mora/Getty ImagesLegendary songwriter who wrote hits for Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Jackie DeShannon, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield and more.
Raquel Welch
Frederick M. Brown/Getty ImagesActress and iconic sex symbol of the 1960s.
David Jude Jolicoeur (Trugoy the Dove)
Bryan Bedder/Getty ImagesOne-third of the influential hip-hop group De La Soul
Kyle Jacobs
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesSongwriter and husband of Kellie Pickler.
Charles Kimbrough
Gary Gershoff/Getty ImagesActor of stage, screen and television. Best known for playing Jim Dial on the hit CBS sitcom 'Murphy Brown.'
Bob Born
William Thomas Cain/Getty ImagesConfectioner best known for inventing Peeps.
Bobby Hull
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesHockey Hall of Famer best known for his 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Lloyd Morrisett
Paul Morigi/Getty ImagesCo-creator of 'Sesame Street'
Jerry Blavat
William Thomas Cain/Getty ImagesIconic Philadelphia DJ, "The Geator with the Heater" and "The Big Boss with the Hot Sauce."
Tom Verlaine
Stephen Lovekin/Getty ImagesSongwriter and guitarist from influential punk band Television.
Lisa Loring
Lawrence Lucier/Getty ImagesActress best known for playing Wednesday Addams on ABC's 'The Addams Family' from 1964-1966.
Cody Longo
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTVActor and singer/songwriter best known for his roles on 'Hollywood Heights' and 'Days of Our Lives.'
Tim McCarver
MLB All-Star and two-time World Series Champion that went on to be a Hall of Fame broadcaster.
Sal Piro
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Painted TurtleNoted superfan of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.'
Richard Belzer
Stephen Lovekin/Getty ImagesRenowned stand-up comedian and actor best known for playing Det. John Munch on 'Homicide: Life on the Street' and 'Law & Order: SVU.'
Gary Rossington
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesGuitarist and last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Lance Reddick
Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDbActor best known for his roles on HBO's 'The Wire' and the 'John Wick' movie franchise.
Wayne Swinny
O'Donnell Media GroupFounding member and guitarist for Saliva.
Keith Reid (L)
Michael Stroud/Express/Getty ImagesProcol Harum lyricist. Notably wrote the lyrics to "A Whiter Shade of Pale."
Seymour Stein
Frank Micelotta/Getty ImagesIconic record executive who co-founded Sire Records and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Nora Forster
Noam Galai/Getty Images for Tribeca Film FestivalMusic promoter, wife of John Lydon (Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten) and mother to Arianna Forster (Ari Up from The Slits.)
Michael Lerner
Scott Gries/Getty Images for Tribeca Film FestivalIconic character actor best known for his roles in the films 'Barton Fink,' 'Elf' and 'Newsies.'
Mary Quant
Keystone/Getty ImagesFamed British designer known as "The Mother of the Miniskirt."
Blair Tindall
Brian Ach/Getty Images for Amazon StudiosAuthor of the 2005 memoir 'Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classic Music,' which was later adapted into an award-winning series for Amazon.
Barry Humphries (aka: Dame Edna)
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesAustralian actor best known as the personality of Dame Edna Everage.
Len Goodman
Simon Burchell/Getty ImagesRenown British dance champion who was a longtime judge on ABC's 'Dancing With the Stars.'
Harry Belafonte
Terry Disney/Central Press/Getty ImagesLegendary singer/actor who was also an integral figure in the civil rights movement.
Jerry Springer
Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesFormer politician turned notorious talk show host of 'The Jerry Springer Show.'
