Paul Reubens, the actor who portrayed beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighting kids and adults of multiple generations, died on Sunday night at the age of 70. The cause of death was an unspecified cancer.
The news was shared on the actor’s official social media accounts. “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,” a post on the actor’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts read.
“Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit,” the statement continued. “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 first premiered Pee-wee Herman, a character he developed, in 1982 on stage with The Pee-wee Herman Show. The show was a success and spawned an HBO special, and soon several movies, including 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, marking Tim Burton’s feature film directorial debut, and 1988’s Big Top Pee-wee.
Reubens went on to play the iconic role in Pee-wee’s Playhouse — which he created, co-wrote and co-directed. The series, which ran for five years, earned 22 Emmys. Reubens was nominated for 14, and won twice.
He reprised the role and his stage performance with a revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show in Los Angeles in 2010 before it went on to Broadway. HBO produced a special of the Broadway version, which went earned him another Emmy nomination.
Reubens returned to the big screen with his third and final film as the titular character in 2015 with Pee-wee‘s Big Holiday. Teaming up with Judd Apatow, Reubens cowrote it alongside Paul Rust.
He became famous for playing an adult with a childlike spirit, and his love for acting began at a young age. He first hit the stage in the sixth grade, where he played Nick Burns in A Thousand Clowns at the Players Theatre in New York. He returned to the Players in junior high, where he appeared in The Riot Act, Camelot, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.
The acting bug continued in high school, where he was president of the drama club and starred in numerous roles. He went on to attend Boston University for a year as a theatre major, before he moved to L.A. to enroll in the acting program at California Institute of the Arts.
It was in in Los Angeles where he developed Pee-wee Herman. Following college, he joined famed improv group The Groundlings, where he debuted the character at its theater in 1981 for five months.
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