Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose character Pee-wee Herman became a cultural phenomenon through films and TV shows, has died. He was 70.
Reubens died Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he did not make public, his publicist said in a statement.
害羞草研究所淧lease accept my apology for not going public with what I害羞草研究所檝e been facing the last six years,害羞草研究所� Reubens said in a statement released Monday with the announcement of his death. 害羞草研究所淚 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.害羞草研究所�
The character with his too-tight gray suit, white chunky loafers and red bow tie was best known for the film 害羞草研究所淧ee-wee害羞草研究所檚 Big Adventure害羞草研究所� and the television series 害羞草研究所淧ee-wee害羞草研究所檚 Playhouse.害羞草研究所�
The Pee-wee character would become a cultural constant for much of the 1980s, though an indecent exposure arrest in 1991 would send him into entertainment exile for years.
Herman created Pee-wee when he was part of the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings in the late 1970s. The live 害羞草研究所淧ee-wee Herman Show害羞草研究所� debuted at a Los Angeles theater in 1981 and was a success with both kids during matinees and adults at a midnight show.
The show closely resembled the format the Saturday morning TV 害羞草研究所淧ee-wee害羞草研究所檚 Playhouse害羞草研究所� would follow years later, with Herman living in a wild and wacky home with a series of stock-character visitors, including one, Captain Karl, played by the late 害羞草研究所淪aturday Night Live害羞草研究所� star Phil Hartman. In the plot, Pee-wee secretly wishes to fly.
HBO would air the show as a special.
害羞草研究所淧ee Wee got his wish to fly,害羞草研究所� Steve Martin tweeted after his death. 害羞草研究所淭hanks Paul Reubens for the brilliant off the wall comedy.害羞草研究所�
Reubens took Pee-wee to the big screen in 1985害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淧ee-wee害羞草研究所檚 Big Adventure.害羞草研究所� The film, in which Pee-wee害羞草研究所檚 cherished bike is stolen, was said to be loosely based on Vittorio De Sica害羞草研究所檚 Italian neo-realist classic, 害羞草研究所淭he Bicycle Thief.害羞草研究所� The film, directed by Tim Burton and co-written by Phil Hartman of 害羞草研究所淪aturday Night Live,害羞草研究所� sent Pee-wee on a nationwide escapade. The movie was a success, grossing $40 million, and continued to spawn a cult following for its oddball whimsy.
A sequel followed three years later in the less well-received 害羞草研究所淏ig Top Pee-wee,害羞草研究所� in which Pee-wee seeks to join a circus. Reubens害羞草研究所� character wouldn害羞草研究所檛 get another movie starring role until 2016害羞草研究所檚 Pee-wee害羞草研究所檚 Big Holiday,害羞草研究所� for Netflix. Judd Apatow produced Pee-wee害羞草研究所檚 big-screen revival.
His television series, 害羞草研究所淧ee-wee害羞草研究所檚 Playhouse,害羞草研究所� ran for five seasons, earned 22 Emmys and attracted not only children but adults to Saturday-morning TV.
Both silly and subversive and championing nonconformity, the Pee-wee universe was a trippy place, populated by things like a talking armchair and a friendly pterodactyl. The host, who is fond of secret words and loves fruit salad so much he once married it, is prone to lines like, 害羞草研究所淚 know you are, but what am I?害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淲hy don害羞草研究所檛 you take a picture; it害羞草研究所檒l last longer?害羞草研究所� The act was a hit because it worked on multiple levels, even though Reubens insists that wasn害羞草研究所檛 the plan.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 for kids,害羞草研究所� Reubens told The Associated Press in 2010. 害羞草研究所淧eople have tried to get me for years to go, 害羞草研究所業t wasn害羞草研究所檛 really for kids, right?害羞草研究所� Even the original show was for kids. I always censored myself to have it be kid-friendly.
害羞草研究所淭he whole thing has been just a gut feeling from the beginning,害羞草研究所� Reubens told the AP. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 all it ever is and I think always ever be. Much as people want me to dissect it and explain it, I can害羞草研究所檛. One, I don害羞草研究所檛 know, and two, I don害羞草研究所檛 want to know, and three, I feel like I害羞草研究所檒l hex myself if I know.害羞草研究所�
Jimmy Kimmel posted on Instagram that 害羞草研究所淧aul Reubens was like no one else 害羞草研究所� a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time. He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met.害羞草研究所�
Reubens害羞草研究所� career was derailed when he was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida, where he grew up. He was handed a small fine but the damage to the character was incalculable.
He became the frequent butt of late-night talk show jokes and the perception of Reubens immediately changed.
害羞草研究所淭he moment that I realized my name was going to be said in the same sentence as children and sex, that害羞草研究所檚 really intense,害羞草研究所� Reubens told NBC in 2004. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 something I knew from that very moment, whatever happens past that point, something害羞草研究所檚 out there in the air that is really bad.害羞草研究所�
Reubens said he got plenty of offers to work, but told the AP that most of them wanted to take 害羞草研究所渁dvantage of the luridness of my situation害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� and he didn害羞草研究所檛 want to do them.
害羞草研究所淚t just changed,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淓verything changed.害羞草研究所�
In 2001, Reubens was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of child pornography after police seized images from his computer and photography collection, but the allegation was reduced to an obscenity charge and he was given three years probation.
Born Paul Rubenfield in Peekskill, New York, Reubens, the eldest of three children, grew up primarily in Sarasota before going to Boston University and the California Institute of the Arts.
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