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IMDbPro

Paul Reubens(1952-2023)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000361
Paul Reubens
From "Pee-wee's Playhouse" and 'Big Adventure' to a lifetime of hilarious roles and cameos in our favorite movies and shows, like "Murphy Brown," 'Mystery Men,' and "30 Rock," Paul Reubens will be forever remembered for making us laugh ... sometimes until we cried.
Play clip1:13
Paul Reubens In Memoriam
41 Videos
99+ Photos
Paul Reubens was born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952 in Peekskill, New York, to Judy (Rosen), a teacher, and Milton Rubenfeld, a car salesman who had flown for the air forces of the U.S., U.K., and Israel, becoming one of the latter country's pioneering pilots. Paul grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where his parents owned a lamp store. During winters, The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus called Sarasota home, and young Paul counted such big-top families as the Wallendas and the Zacchinis among his neighbors. When he was 11-years-old, he joined the local Asolo Theater, and during the next six years, he appeared in a variety of plays. After graduating from Sarasota High School in 1970, he attended Boston University for one year before deciding to seek his fortune as Paul Reubens in Hollywood, where he enrolled as an acting major at the California Institute of the Arts and accepted a string of pay-the-rent jobs ranging from pizza chef to Fuller Brush salesman.

In the mid 1970s, his acting career grew slowly and steadily with small roles in theater productions, gigs at local comedy clubs and four guest appearances on The Gong Show (1976). During this time of education/employment, he joined an improvisational comedy troupe called The Groundlings. The popular gang of yuksters, whose roster has included Conan O'Brien, Lisa Kudrow, the late Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, and Julia Sweeney, wrung laughs from audiences with skits starring scads of imaginative, self-created characters. Among Reubens's contributions to this comedic community were a philandering husband named Moses Feldman, an Indian chief named Jay Longtoe, and, the character he became best known for, Pee-Wee Herman, who debuted in 1978.

Pee-Wee was a funny man-child of indeterminate age and sexuality who created a sarcastic enthusiasm for the popular culture of the '50s and '60s. The geeky character's wardrobe consisted of a gray suit, a white short-sleeved shirt accessorized with a red clip-on bow tie, and white patent-leather loafers. He wore his jet-black hair military short with a defiant tuft in front, and he accentuated his lily-white complexion with pink cheeks and red lipstick. Reubens drew inspiration for Pee-Wee's geeky behavior from a youth he had attended summer camp with, and derived his creation's boyish voice from a character he played as a child actor. Pee-Wee appeared for only 10 minutes of The Groundlings show, but he nonetheless built up a considerable following and turned out to be a star of the '80s and early '90s. The Pee-Wee Herman Show (1981), ran for five sellout months at the Los Angeles's Roxy nightclub, and HBO taped the performance and aired it as a special.

Now a genuine comedy-circuit star, he became a frequent guest of David Letterman and a favorite at Caroline's in New York. In 1984, he sold out Carnegie Hall. He later auditioned for the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975), but when that didn't turn out as planned, he started writing a feature-length screenplay for Pee-Wee to star in, and asked friend Tim Burton to direct. Released to wildly divergent reviews, Pee-wee Big Adventure (1985), followed its star cross-country in a madcap search for his beloved, stolen bike. The $7 million picture ended up grossing $45 million. That following year, CBS which had been losing children's audiences to cable programming, was interested in finding something to shore up its Saturday Morning lineup. The network company signed him to act/produce and to direct its live-action children's program called Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986). They doled out an eye-popping budget of $325,000 per episode - the same price as a prime- time sitcom. Reubens received complete creative control, albeit with three minor exceptions. During its five-year-run on CBS, he never appeared in general as himself. He even granted printed interviews in full Pee-Wee regalia.

The image of Pee-Wee was broken on July 26, 1991. On his summer vacation, Reubens was visiting his parents in Sarasota and sought escape from boredom by catching a showing of the X-rated film, Nurse Nancy. He fell victim to a police sting operation and was arrested for sex charges when detectives allegedly saw him playing with his private parts. He was released on $219 bail and nobody realized what had happened until somebody recognized him beneath his long hair and goatee. The media went berserk: 'Kids show star arrested for indecent exposure'. Because of his behavior, CBS dropped the Playhouse and related merchandise was released from its shelves. He agreed to pay a $50 fine plus $85 in court costs to Sarasota County, and he produced a 30 second public service message for the Partnership For Drug-Free America commercial. As part of the deal, the county sealed all legal papers relating to the actor's arrest and didn't leave Reubens with a criminal record. The scandal marked the near death of Pee-Wee Herman. Reubens appeared as his favorite character for the last time at that Autumn's MTV Music Video Awards. The enthusiastic reception was not surprising, as he had received 15 thousand supportive letters during his arrest. Regardless, he had recently made a promise not to play Pee-Wee anymore and used his arrest as an chance to portray other roles. A new feature length film by Netflix available beginning March 18, 2016 allowed Reubens to show Pee-Wee fans his character again in Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016).

Reubens has landed a series of offbeat character roles. One year after he was taken into custody, he appeared in Burton's Batman : Le Défi (1992) as the Penguin's unloving father, and as a vampire henchman in Buffy, tueuse de vampires (1992). Subsequent jobs have included a voice over for Tim Burton's L'Étrange Noël de monsieur Jack (1993), a healthy stint as Andrew J. Lansing III on Murphy Brown (1988), and roles in the feature films, Mon ami Dunston (1996), Matilda (1996), Mon copain Buddy (1997) and Mystery Men (1999). He also signed to emcee a new game show based on the popular 'You Don't Know Jack' CD-ROM version.
BornAugust 27, 1952
DiedJuly 30, 2023(70)
BornAugust 27, 1952
DiedJuly 30, 2023(70)
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000361
  • Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys
    • 6 wins & 23 nominations total

Remembering Paul Reubens (1952-2023)

Remembering Paul Reubens (1952-2023)

We look back on the life and career of Paul Reubens, aka Pee-wee Herman.
See his life in photos
Production art
Photos

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Known for

Paul Reubens in Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986)
Pee-wee's Playhouse
8.2
TV Series
  • Pee-wee Herman
  • Billy Baloney(as Pee-wee Herman)
Paul Reubens in Pee-wee Big Adventure (1985)
Pee-wee Big Adventure
7.1
  • Pee-wee Herman(as Pee-wee Herman)
  • 1985
Big Top Pee-wee (1988)
Big Top Pee-wee
5.1
  • Pee-wee Herman(as Pee-wee Herman)
  • 1988
Paul Reubens and Aaron Fletcher in Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse (1988)
Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse
7.8
TV Movie
  • Pee-wee Herman
  • 1988

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor



  • The Crown with a Shadow and the Search for Self
    • Oliver, Queen Olivia (voice)
    • Post-production
    • Short



  • Sandra Oh and Awkwafina in Quiz Lady (2023)
    Quiz Lady
    6.7
    • Francine's Crush
    • 2023
  • H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz, and John Roberts in Bob's Burgers (2011)
    Bob's Burgers
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Pat (voice)
    • 2023
  • The Crown with a Shadow (2021)
    The Crown with a Shadow
    6.3
    Short
    • Oliver (voice)
    • 2021
  • Tom et Jerry Show (2011)
    Tom et Jerry Show
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Pontius Pig (voice)
    • 2021
  • John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Jay R. Ferguson, Alicia Goranson, Laurie Metcalf, Emma Kenney, and Ames McNamara in The Conners (2018)
    The Conners
    5.9
    TV Series
    • Sandy Bitensky
    • 2019
  • Olivia Swann, Shayan Sobhian, Nick Zano, Amy Louise Pemberton, Matt Ryan, Adam Tsekhman, Caity Lotz, Tala Ashe, Jes Macallan, and Lisseth Chavez in DC: Legends of Tomorrow (2016)
    DC: Legends of Tomorrow
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Dybbuk (voice)
    • 2018–2019
  • What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
    What We Do in the Shadows
    8.6
    TV Series
    • Paul
    • 2019
  • Debi Derryberry and Nils Frykdahl in Tigtone (2018)
    Tigtone
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Cryptomb (voice)
    • 2019
  • Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016)
    Voltron: Legendary Defender
    8.0
    TV Series
    • Unliu Swap Shop Owner (voice)
    • 2017–2018
  • Ashley Johnson and Patton Oswalt in Minecraft: Story Mode (2016)
    Minecraft: Story Mode
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Ivor (voice)
    • 2015–2018
  • Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara, and Ken Page in The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl (2018)
    The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
    8.0
    Video
    • Lock
    • 2018
  • Sharon Stone in Mosaic (2018)
    Mosaic
    6.4
    TV Series
    • JC Schiffer
    • 2018
  • Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (2014)
    Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
    6.9
    TV Series
    • The Butterman
    • The Milkman
    • Milkman (voice)
    • 2015–2017
  • Minecraft: Story Mode - Season 2 (2017)
    Minecraft: Story Mode - Season 2
    7.1
    Video Game
    • Ivor (voice)
    • 2017
  • Wilson's Heart (2017)
    Wilson's Heart
    6.0
    Video Game
    • Boris (voice)
    • 2017

Writer



  • Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016)
    Pee-wee's Big Holiday
    6.1
    • written by
    • 2016
  • Paul Reubens, Phil LaMarr, and Lynne Marie Stewart in The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway (2011)
    The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway
    7.6
    TV Movie
    • adapted from "The Pee-wee Herman Show" written by
    • created and conceived by
    • written by
    • 2011
  • Pee-wee Goes to Sturgis (2010)
    Pee-wee Goes to Sturgis
    6.2
    Video
    • Writer
    • 2010
  • Pee-Wee Gets an iPad! (2010)
    Pee-Wee Gets an iPad!
    6.2
    Video
    • Writer
    • 2010
  • Harley Quinn's Date with Pee Wee Herman (2009)
    Harley Quinn's Date with Pee Wee Herman
    Short
    • based on the characters created by
    • 2009
  • You Don't Know Jack (2001)
    You Don't Know Jack
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Writer
    • 2001
  • Paul Reubens in Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986)
    Pee-wee's Playhouse
    8.2
    TV Series
    • creator
    • created by
    • writer ...
    • 1986–1990
  • Paul Reubens and Aaron Fletcher in Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse (1988)
    Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse
    7.8
    TV Movie
    • creator
    • written by
    • 1988
  • Big Top Pee-wee (1988)
    Big Top Pee-wee
    5.1
    • written by
    • 1988
  • Paul Reubens in Pee-wee Big Adventure (1985)
    Pee-wee Big Adventure
    7.1
    • written by
    • 1985
  • The Paragon of Comedy (1983)
    The Paragon of Comedy
    8.2
    TV Movie
    • additional material
    • 1983
  • The Pee-Wee Herman Show (1981)
    The Pee-Wee Herman Show
    8.0
    TV Movie
    • conceived by
    • 1981

Director



  • Paul Reubens in Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986)
    Pee-wee's Playhouse
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1987–1990
  • Paul Reubens and Aaron Fletcher in Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse (1988)
    Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse
    7.8
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1988
  • The Pee-Wee Herman Show (1981)
    The Pee-Wee Herman Show
    8.0
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1981

  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos41

Paul Reubens In Memoriam
Clip 1:13
Paul Reubens In Memoriam
Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases! Clip #3
Clip 0:54
Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases! Clip #3
Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases! Clip #3
Clip 0:54
Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases! Clip #3
"Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!" Clip #2
Clip 0:49
"Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!" Clip #2
Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases! Clip #1
Clip 0:42
Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases! Clip #1
The Nightmare Before Christmas: 3D
Clip 1:48
The Nightmare Before Christmas: 3D
The Nightmare Before Christmas: 3D
Clip 1:59
The Nightmare Before Christmas: 3D

Personal details

Edit
  • Official site
    • X
  • Alternative names
    • P. W. Herman
  • Height
    • 1.83 m
  • Born
    • August 27, 1952
    • Peekskill, Westchester County, New York, USA
  • Died
    • July 30, 2023
    • Los Angeles, California, USA(acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to acute myelogenous leukaemia)
  • Parents
      Judy Rubenfeld
  • Relatives
      Luke Rubenfeld(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Played "Reid Evan Wilson" in "Beverly Winwood Presents the Actors Showcase" performance conceived and directed by Anthony Sepulveda (Groundlings Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA).
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Interviews
    • 13 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial
    • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Was a good friend of Debi Mazar and credited her for ending the depression resulting from his 1991 arrest.
  • Quotes
    I tried to be responsible in teaching kids things I thought were good lessons, all in the context of, 'it's okay to be wild and have a good time.'
  • Trademark
      His most famous role is Pee-Wee Herman, a hyper child-man with slick short hair, who always wore a glen plaid suit that was a size too small with a red bow tie.
  • Nickname
    • Pee-Wee Herman
  • Salary
    • Buffy, tueuse de vampires
      (1992)
      $150,000

FAQ

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Paul Reubens die?
    July 30, 2023
  • How did Paul Reubens die?
    Acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to acute myelogenous leukaemia
  • How old was Paul Reubens when he died?
    70 years old
  • Where did Paul Reubens die?
    Los Angeles, California, USA
  • When was Paul Reubens born?
    August 27, 1952

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