Paul Reubens, actor and comedian behind Pee-wee Herman, dies at 70

Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian who portrayed Pee-wee Herman on the stage and screen, has died. He was 70.

The veteran children’s entertainer, who created and starred in “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” died Sunday of cancer, according to a statement shared Monday on the Pee-wee Herman Instagram page.

“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,” the statement read.

“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.”

The post also included a quote from Reubens.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” he said. “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.”

Born Paul Rubenfeld in Peekskill, N.Y., on Aug. 27, 1952, Reubens was the eldest of three children and grew up primarily in Sarasota, Fla., before going to Boston University and the California Institute of the Arts.

Accompanied by a talking chair and pterodactyl named Pterri, Reubens established his place in the pop-culture zeitgeist with a maniacal laugh, form-fitting gray suit and red bow tie while embodying the man-child who ran amok on Saturday mornings during the TV run of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” The CBS series aired from 1986 to 1990 and then yielded the big-screen adaptations “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” directed by Tim Burton, and “Big Top Pee-wee” in the 1980s. Stage shows followed in more recent years., as did Netflix’s 2016 follow-up “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” produced by Judd Apatow.

The character — whose catchphrase was, “I know you are, but what am I?” — actually originated onstage as a darker satire than the one who endeared himself to generations of fans. Reubens created Herman in the late 1970s during his run with the Los Angeles improv group the Groundlings. The live “Pee-wee Herman Show” debuted at a Los Angeles theater in 1981 and was a success both with kids during matinees and adults at a midnight show.

The show closely resembled the format of the TV program that would bring Reubens national acclaim. It featured stock-character visits with his pals Captain Carl, played by the late “Saturday Night Live” star Phil Hartman; Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart); Mailman Mike (John Moody); Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne/Phil LaMarr); and Jambi the Genie (the late John Paragon).

“I occupy this unique place in some people’s childhood where there was a point in time where I influenced them in some way,” he told The Times in 2014. “I don’t want to get corny on you, but I am kind of corny, and that’s one of the greatest things about my career, I get this incredible feedback from people all the time. When I go out now, someone will come up to me and say, ‘I’m an artist because of you.’

“I didn’t really set out to do that, but it’s enormously satisfying,” he said.

Although Reubens cemented his dweeby persona with children, adults and artists of all ages, that light-heartedness soured — and swiftly turned into a punchline — in 1991 after he was arrested in an adult movie theater in his hometown on suspicion of indecent exposure. The Sarasota arrest news took the nation by storm with a mix of horror and countless late-night punchlines and ill-informed man-on-the-street interviews. His notorious mug shot — the actor wore no makeup and had long hair and a beard — also made the rounds, relegating him for years to exile from the entertainment industry.

Months after the arrest, Reubens pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure. According to The Times’ reports, the turning point in the case apparently came when Reubens’ lawyers disclosed to the prosecution a videotape shot by a security camera in the lobby of the theater on the night the performer was arrested. His attorney said the time code on the videotape showed that Reubens was in the lobby when an undercover detective alleged that he saw the actor masturbating in the theater.

“It’s a way to avoid five days of a chaotic trial,” a source close to Reubens told The Times. “This situation has been devastating to Paul, and he has become almost a complete recluse. This is an opportunity where the prosecution has offered him no record of guilt. He personally feels exonerated.”

Police also raided Reubens’ Hollywood Hills home in 2001, and the next year, the actor turned himself in to the Hollywood Division of the LAPD, which arrested him on a misdemeanor charge of possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child. In 2004, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge and was placed on probation after striking a plea bargain. Prosecutors dropped the more serious charges of child pornography.

Eventually making a comeback as an actor and as Herman, Reubens saw his career become as eclectic as his signature persona: The actor’s credits included appearances on the TV series “Murphy Brown,” “Dirt,” “Pushing Daisies” “Gotham” and “The Blacklist.” More recently, he played the doll-like disembodied spirit known as Dybbuk on the CW’s “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.”

He also landed guest spots as Herman on “Sesame Street,” “WrestleMania” and “WWE Raw,” among others, ” and filled his resume with steady voice work on animated programs, including “Tron: Uprising,” “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” and “Phineas and Ferb.”

Reubens also embodied his signature character on theater stages and, in 2021, after a viral Twitter campaign, he guest-hosted a radio show as Herman for KCRW-FM (89.9).

He is survived by a brother, Luke Rubenfeld, and sister, Abby Rubenfeld.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.