Pee-wee Herman Star Paul Reubens Dies After Six Year Secret Cancer Battle
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Sad news today as the estate of Paul Reubens, known to millions for his role as Pee-wee Herman, announced the death of the actor following a battle with cancer. The actor passed away on Sunday night at the age of 70.
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The announcement was made via Reubens’ social media accounts, including on his Instagram page, where a message from the actor himself relating to his six-year fight with cancer was also shared. The statement read:
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“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. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. 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.”
In a message from Reuben himself, which was prepared in advance for this sad eventuality, the actor 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 Became an Icon as Pee-wee Herman.
Paul Reubens was born in New York in 1952, and found an instant love of comedy and theater at a young age. As a child, his father to build him a stage where he and his siblings would put on shows and make family members laugh.
In the early 1970s, the actor performed at local comedy clubs, and it was in 1978 that he first played the character of Pee-wee Herman while performing with The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy troupe with whom he performed for several years. In 1980, Reubens auditioned for Saturday Night Live, however, he was shut out of the show when Gilbert Gottfried, who was friends with the producer at the time, was taken on instead. This led Reubens to start his own show, The Pee-wee Herman Show. If there was ever a “and the rest is history” moment, then that was surely it.
From that point, Reubens didn’t look back, following up the show with a full-length feature film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985 under the direction of Tim Burton. This in turn led to Pee-wee’s Playhouse, a CBS series that ran for 5 years. Over the following two decades, Reubens made numerous non-Pee-wee related appearances in movies and TV shows, and then in 2009, Reubens made a comeback in the guise of his most famous character, which led to the release of the movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday in 2016. His final performance was a voice-over role in Bob’s Burgers earlier this year.
Our thoughts are with the actor’s family, friends and fans at this time.
