The noted comedian, writer, producer, voice artist, and actor, best known for his ground-breaking kids’ show, ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse’ and films including Tim Burton classics ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ passed away July 30 from cancer.
Paul Reubens, the versatile and talented comedian, writer, producer, voice artist and actor behind the whimsical and unforgettable character Pee-wee Herman, passed away yesterday, July 30, at age 70 from cancer.
Born as Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, Reubens studied theater arts and improv, ultimately creating the seminal character that would become his alter ego, earning a place in pop culture history.
With his eccentric wardrobe, childlike demeanor, and contagious laugh, Reuben’s Pee-wee Herman captured the hearts of millions through various mediums: first on stage, then in TV and film. The critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated kid’s television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, which ran Saturday mornings on CBS between 1986 and 1990, became a cult classic, entertaining audiences with quirky charm and memorable characters like Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, and Chairry. The show ultimately won 15 Creative Emmy Awards.
The show hit the network following the release of Pee-wee’s hit live-action feature debut in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton and released in 1985. The cult classic, which generated more than $40 million at the box office on a $7 million budget, told the store of Pee-wee’s nationwide search for his missing bicycle. The film’s sequel, Big Top Pee-wee, released in 1988, did not come close to matching the first film’s success, only generating $15 million at the box office.
Reubens lent his distinctive voice to numerous animated and game projects. Notable roles included Lock, the confident and quick-witted trickster in Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion masterpiece, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and Pavel in Tron: Uprising, which ran 2012-2013; he also lent his voice talent to Adventure Time, American Dad!, Chowder, Rugrats, The Tom and Jerry Show, Tigtone, and Voltron: Legendary Defender, to name a few.
After taking a break from performing as Pee-wee, in 1991, Reuben was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida in 1991. While not fatal to his career, it derailed most new projects for almost a decade. Shedding his Pee-wee persona, the actor appeared in another Burton film, 1992’s Batman Returns, as well as the big-budget films Mystery Men (1999), as well as the critically acclaimed Blow in 2001. He appeared regularly in live-action TV shows as well, including 30 Rock; Ally McBeal; Portlandia; Pushing Daisies; Reno 911!; and The Blacklist.
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
