Paul Reubens, the actor best known for portraying the irrepressible, joyfully childlike Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday night after a private bout of cancer. He was 70.
Please accept my apology for not going public with what Ive been facing the last six years, wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death. 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 Pee-wee Herman character was known for his bright red bowtie, grey suit and flattop haircut, and delivered his well-known catchphrases like I know you are, but what am I? in a distinctive squeaky, high-pitched voice.
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, wrote Reubens estate in the caption. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.
Reubens began his career in the 1970s after joining the Los Angeles live comedy troupe the Groundlings as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. In 1980, he launched The Pee-wee Herman Show, a stage production centered on a fictional character he had been developing for years. As Pee-wee became a cult figure, Reubens show ran for five sold-out months, and he landed a special at HBO. Reubens also committed to the character in his interviews and public appearances.
In 1985, he teamed with Tim Burton on Pee-wees Big Adventure, the characters feature film debut, which was a critical and commercial success. Reubens returned three years later for a follow-up film, Big Top Pee-wee, helmed by Randal Kleiser. The character transitioned to television from 1986 to 1990, on CBS weekend morning show Pee-wees Playhouse.
Influenced by vintage kids shows like Captain Kangaroo, the artistically groundbreaking Pee-wees Playhouse won several Emmys and featured colorful postmodernist set design and music from New Wave icons like Mark Mothersbaugh, Cyndi Lauper and the Residents, along with guest stars including Laurence Fishburne, Natasha Lyonne and Jimmy Smits.
Reubens had already decided to end Pee-wees Playhouse when his image as a beloved childhood hero was tarnished in 1991, after he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Fla. At the center of a national sex scandal, Reubens backed away from Pee-wee and began doing press as himself. In the aftermath of the arrest, he did receive support from his fans and other celebrities, and appeared at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, receiving a standing ovation. Heard any good jokes lately? he said to the crowd.
He wouldnt again reprise the iconic role until 2010, when he revived The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway and made several other appearances, on WWE Raw and in a couple of digital sketches for Funny or Die. In 2016, Reubens co-wrote and starred in Netflixs Pee-wees Big Holiday, a sequel to 1988s Big Top, which would serve as Reubens final film role before his death.
Throughout his career, Reubens starred in a variety of other projects as well, including Kinka Ushers superhero comedy Mystery Men and Ted Demmes biographical crime drama Blow. He also appeared in Batman Returns, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Matilda, and his television credits include 30 Rock, The Blacklist, Pushing Daisies, Hercules, Rugrats, Reno 911! and What We Do in the Shadows.
In 2002, after turning himself in to the Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department, Reubens was charged with misdemeanor possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct. A self-proclaimed collector of erotica, Reubens disagreed with the citys classification of pornography. His child pornography charges were dropped in 2004 after he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser misdemeanor obscenity charge.
In an interview with NBC News Stone Phillips, Herman said in 2005: One thing I want to make very, very clear, I dont want anyone for one second to think that I am titillated by images of children. Its not me. You can say lots of things about me. And you might. The public may think Im weird. They may think Im crazy or anything that anyone wants to think about me. Thats all fine. As long as one of the things youre not thinking about me is that Im a pedophile. Because thats not true.
Before his death, Reubens was developing two Pee-wee Herman projects, one a black comedy titled The Pee-wee Herman Story and the other a family adventure film called Pee-wees Playhouse: The Movie.