The news of Paul Reubens’ passing shook the globe. For years, the loving fans of the comedian who played the renowned role of Pee-wee Herman were kept in the dark about his private health fight. Learn what killed Paul Reubens and what led to the cancellation of the Pee-wee Herman show.
Paul Reubens Cause Of Death
Paul Reubens, well known by his stage as Pee-wee Herman, lost his battle with cancer on Sunday. He was 70.
Reubens wrote, “In a message posthumously posted to the legendary performer’s official Instagram page, “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.”
A separate Instagram message read: “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.”
Since his debut at The Groundlings Theatre in February 1981, the Pee-wee Herman character has been in film (with 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure), television (with 1986-1991’s Pee-wee’s Playhouse, for which CBS won an Emmy), and theater (with 2010’s The Pee-wee Herman Show).
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, released in 2016, was Reubens’ most recent appearance in the part. Ally McBeal, Pushing Daisies, The Blacklist, Gotham, and, most recently, The Conners and What We Do in the Shadows are just a few of the shows that have featured Reubens outside of his Pee-wee role.
The impression he made as a guest star on the first season of 30 Rock on NBC is still spoken about today. The actor’s representative also shared the news that Reubens had completed a book draft shortly before his death.
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For What Reason Was The Paul Reubens Program Canceled?
Reruns of the classic children’s program Pee-wee’s Playhouse ceased showing when Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure at a movie theater for adults in 1991, even though the show had concluded in 1990.
He previously told NBC News (via The Associated Press), “The moment that I realized my name was going to be said in the same sentence as children and sex, that’s really intense. That’s something I knew from that very moment, whatever happens past that point, something’s out there in the air that is really bad.”
At What Age Paul Reubens Died?
Reubens lived to reach 70 years old. But Pee-wee Herman himself, and the legacy he left behind, will go on indefinitely. Reubens told PEOPLE in 2016 that he had made a concerted effort not to distance himself from his Pee-wee character.
“I went out of my way for quite some time to try and make people think that he was a real person and there wasn’t an actor behind it all,” he said of the character he initially created in the legendary Groundlings improv team. However, after years of arduous labor as the character—including two feature films created while shooting Pee-wee’s Playhouse—he eventually became weary of playing the part.
RIP Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens).#PaulReubens #Paul_Reubens #PeeWeeHerman #PeeWee_Herman pic.twitter.com/OA8WJFbTuB
— KMR Studios (@KMR_Studios) July 31, 2023
“I never said, ‘I don’t want to be Pee-wee anymore,’ ” Reubens explained. “I loved what I was doing, but I needed a break.”
Reubens’ representative verified to PEOPLE that Reubens had finished two Pee-wee Herman feature screenplays before his death. In 2016, he revived the Pee-wee character for Pee-wee’s Big Holiday on Netflix. There probably won’t be anybody who can take over for him, but he could pop up again.
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