Remembering Paul Reubens. Beloved actor dies at 70.

Aw man, my fellow 80s children and J1 fans. This tribute hits hard. The iconic comedian Paul Reubens, better known to everyone as Pee Wee Herman, has passed away at age 70.

Reubens began his career in the 1970s joining the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings. It was there that he developed his Pee Wee Herman character, who was a man who wanted to be a comic but was inept at telling jokes. Reubens befriended the late Phil Hartman while performing with the Groundlings. Hartman helped Reubens with his act along with another Groundling, John Paragon who helped write the show. Pee Wee Herman has been compared to other famous characters, such as “Tintin” and “Pinocchio.” However, Paul Reubens said that the idea for his persona had no specific source other than a collection of ideas. The name is an amalgamation of the Pee Wee brand harmonica Reubens had as a child and the name of an energetic boy he knew in his youth. The first grey suit he wore was handed to him by Groundlings founder Gary Austin while the origin of the trademark red bow tie was less clear.

Paul Reubens broke into fame as Pee Wee Herman, a character of his own creation who would become an instant hit with kids and adults alike, making him an icon.

Reubens auditioned for “Saturday Night Live” in 1980, sadly, he was turned down in favor of Gilbert Gottfried who was a friend of the show’s producer and had the same acting style as Reubens. Angry and bitter, Reuben borrowed money to start his own show using the character he created and, with help from fellow Groundlings John Paragon, Phil Hartman and Lynne Marie Stewart, he took his show to the Roxy Theatre where the Pee Wee Herman Show ran for five sellout months before it was picked up by HBO in 1981 and aired as part of their series “On Location.” Reubens childish persona would take off, with him appearing as Pee Wee in “Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie” and credited as “Hamburger dude” in “Cheech & Chong’s Nice Dream.” Reubens act had been described “bizarre”, with Reuben himself described as “the weirdest comic around.” Pee Wee’s fame began to grow. Soon, Reubens chose to move out of the spotlight in favor of his persona, making all his public appearances as the character while billing Pee Wee as playing himself. This led to him making several appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” which increased his audience, and he was eventually approached by Warner Bros to star in his own movie, “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.” The film was a commercial success, winning more fandom for Reubens’ persona. Reubens/Pee Wee Herman would star in the children’s show “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” which ran from 1986 to 1990. Groundlings alum John Paragon (who died in 2021) would join the show portraying Pterri the Pterodactyl and Jambi the Genie as well as Phil Hartman who had a recurring role as Captain Carl. Herman would cast future Hollywood stars Lawrence Fishborne (Matrix franchise, Black-ish) as Cowboy Curtis and S. Epatha Merkson (Anita Van Buren in Law & Order) who portrayed Reba the Mail Lady. Pop star Cindy Lauper performed the opening theme. The series won 15 Daytime Emmys for makeup, production, video editing and more.

Paul Reubens stepped down as Pee Wee Herman to take on small parts in films, such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Batman Returns.”

Paul Reubens would eventually walk away from Pee Wee Herman following his 1991 arrest for public exposure. He kept a low profile during the 1990s, taking small roles in films such as 1992’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Batman Returns” (he portrayed Penguin’s father), 1996’s “Matilda” and “Dunston Checks In.” He provided the voice Lock in Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and reprised the role for the 2002 game “The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge.” He also has a recurring role on the TV series “Murphy Brown.” He portrayed Rick of the citizen’s patrol on the popular Comedy Central series “Reno 911, which earned him a small role in the film, “Reno 911: Miami.” Ruebens appeared in the NBC series “30 Rock” playing an inbred Austrian prince, a role created for him by Tina Fey.

Reubens also made his way into voice acting, making cameos in a series of Cartoon Network projects such as the 2006 TV film “Re-animated,” “Chowder”, “Tom Goes to the Mayor” and “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job.” He has also voiced Bat-Mite in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.” Reubens also provided voices for characters in Rugrats, 2013 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Adventure Time, American Dad, and Star Wars Rebels. He would eventually return as Pee Wee Herman in 2009, promoting the return of “The Pee Wee Herman Show.” Reubens, to promote the show, once again gave interviews as his persona, appearing as a guest on “The Jay Leno Show,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” In 2016, he starred in “Pee Wee’s Big Holiday” which aired on Netflix to positive recaption.
Paul Reubens died Sunday, July 30 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a six-year battle with cancer. His condition was not disclosed to the public. In a letter written before his death, Reubens wrote: “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.”

Paul Reubens and Pee Wee Herman. Two men who have made each other into icons to be loved and cherished by the fans they have generated over the years. They leave behind a legacy that will endure for years to come.

Pee Wee’s Playhouse opening theme was performed by pop icon Cindy Lauper.

Paul Reubens as Prince Gerhardt on 30 Rock

Pee Wee’s Playhouse Ep. 1