Paul Reubens passes at 70
By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/1/23 – Paul Reubens (born Paul Rubenfeld) has passed at aged 70 after a six-year battle with cancer. However, the memory that will remain in perpetuity will be his greatest creation; the painted man-boy alter-ego Pee Wee Herman.
Reuben’s comic invention resides in the rich physical comedy pantheon that includes Jerry Lewis and Soupy Sales and Steve Martin. Manic, unhinged, and beloved.
The nerdy character that he perfected belied a long quest to become a serious actor. As a child he was deeply moved by The Ringling Bros. circus and at the age of five, asked his father to build a stage for him and his siblings to create their own homemade productions. He was voted “most talented” in his High School Theater group and would later apply for entry to the most prestigious drama schools on the East Coast without success. He participated in a Northwestern University summer program for gifted students. He then spent a year in the Boston College theater department before he decided to move to Los Angeles and enroll at Cal Arts.
In the late 70’s Reubens would make his mark with the Hollywood comedy/ improve group The Groundlings; where he developed and perfected the character of Pee Wee Herman. The character was a caffeinated mix of innocence, sarcasm, and sexual ambiguity. Reubens would perfect and inhabit Pee Wee fully for most of his professional life. The Groundlings were an underground sensation for several years until Reuben went solo and launched “The Pee Wee Herman Show” which was part comedy review, and part theatrical production. The show sold out for five months straight and Reubens became a cult sensation and subsequently landed an HBO special which then led to the 1985 film “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”. The film was a massive a hit across the board with both critics and audiences. A sequel followed but was much less successful. However, Pee Wee had secured his spot in the cultural Zeitgeist. Moreover, many of the punch lines in his films became part of our everyday language. “I know you are, but what am I?’
In 1986 he created his multi-generational masterpiece “Pee Wee’s Playhouse”; a weekend morning show on CBS crafted for children. Simultaneously wholesome and subversive, it captivated preteens on a sugar rush as well as adults indulging their morning spliff. The show scored 22 Emmy nominations. Reubens himself was nominated 14 times (winning twice). The show was a feast for both the ears and eyes. The stage set was a head-on collision of 50’s Day-Glo kitsch and Dadaist eye candy. The playhouse was also a hothouse for ascendant talents like Lawrence Fishburne, Jimmy Smits and Sandra Bernhard. Music came courtesy of Devo main-man Mark Mothersbaugh, The Residents and Cyndi Lauper among others. Never was a children’s show so hip. Even the king of Saturday morning, (Captain Kangaroo actor Bob Keeshan) gave “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” his enthusiastic thumbs up.
So, it was particularly disappointing when legal problems kneecapped Reuben’s career in 1991, ending the “…Playhouse” franchise.
After the demise of “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” Reubens would survive as a jobbing actor, rebuilding his brand. His Pee Wee alter-ego would rise again in a 2010 updated revival of “The Pee Wee Herman Show” which opened in Los Angeles and would eventually open on Broadway to critical acclaim.
In 2016 he would complete the Pee Wee film trilogy with the Judd Apatow produced Netflix film “Pee Wee’s Big Holiday.”
Rare early interviews with Ruebens revealed a thoughtful, eloquent performance artist who made something very difficult look easy. Later appearances on the late-night talk show circuit revealed Reubens to be a gentle man who seemed genuinely appreciative of his good fortune and his loyal fan base.
In this town, some losses feel like a gut punch. This one went straight to the heart. RIP