Paul Reubens died at 70. He was best known for the iconic character of “Pee Wee Herman”, and his visit to a sex house.
A post on Instagram by the Pee Wee Herman account said: “Last evening we bid farewell to Paul Reubens. He was an iconic American actor and comedian who wrote and produced many films. His beloved character PeeWee Herman has delighted children and adults for generations with his optimism, whimsy, and belief in kindness.”
Reubens’ brilliant career began as a member of The Groundlings sketch and improv troupe in Los Angeles. Reubens was best known for his legendary character Pee Wee Herman. He also starred in television shows like “The Blacklist” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Reubens was notoriously arrested in a Sarasota, Fla. porn theatre back in 1991. Some believed he had planned to get arrested to shake off the Pee-wee Herman character, but it was later revealed that he got busted during a random police raid.
Pee-wee Herman’s humor became popular after the arrest. For example, this joke: Which are Pee Wee Herman’s favorite baseball teams? The Expos, and the Yankees.
Although not as successful, the Montreal Expos was a Major League Baseball team.
Reubens retreated for several months while the humor raged. He returned as Pee-wee’s Herman on a MTV award show, to thunderous applause. “Have you heard any good jokes recently?” he quipped. “So funny, I forgot to laugh.”
Reubens apologized to his fans on Instagram for not disclosing that he was fighting cancer. Please accept my apology for keeping quiet about what I have been going through for the past six years. I’ve always felt an enormous amount of love and support from my friends, supporters, and fans. “I have loved you so much and I enjoyed making art for all of you,” he wrote.
Reubens is best known for his films “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, “Pee Wee’s Playhouse”, and “Pee Wee’s Holiday” on Netflix.
Reubens premiered “The Pee-wee Herman Show” in 2010, a Broadway show that HBO filmed. This earned him an Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special nomination at the Emmy Awards.
Reubens asked that donations be made to Stand Up to Cancer, or any other organization that deals with Alzheimer’s Disease, or dementia-related illnesses, in honor of his parents Judy and Milton Rubenfeld.
