Paul Ruebens, best known as Pee Wee Herman, has died.

  

Actor, producer, writer, and comedian Paul Reubens, best known as Pee Wee Herman, has died. He was 70 years old.  His rep revealed he had been battling cancer for years but didn't disclose it publicly.

Paul Reubens was born in Peekskill, NY. The family moved to Sarasota, Florida when he was young. As a child, he was a big fan of Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus. This love for performative art would be a major influence throughout his career. As a high school student he was accepted to Northwestern University summer program for gifted students. After graduating from high school, Paul attended Boston University and began auditioning for acting schools. He was accepted to the California Institute of the Arts.

While attending acting school, he worked odds jobs including performing at comedy clubs. He joined a Los Angeles improv comedy group called The Groundlings which included Phil Hartman (who went on to find fame as a cast member of SNL). During his time with the Groundlings, Paul created the character of Pee Wee Herman. 

In 1980 his big break came when he had a small part as a waiter in the Blues Brothers movie. This led to Paul auditioning for SNL but was beat out by Gilbert Gottfried. A disappointed Paul decided to create his own path for success. He borrowed money to develop the character of Pee Wee Herman he had created while with the Groundlings. Paul took Pee Wee Herman to the Roxy Theater where it was a hit. It caught the eye of HBO execs who gave him a show. 

In 1985, Warner Brothers hired Paul to write a movie based on the Pee Wee Herman character. The movie, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, became a cult classic hit, grossing $40 million (which is about $115 million today). This led to CBS giving him his own show, Pee Wee's Playhouse. The show aired from 4 years. CBS wanted to renew it but Paul was burnt out and wanted to pursue other opportunities. 

In the early 1990's Paul hit a career rough patch when he was arrested in an adult movie theater for indecent exposure. The embarrassing incident caused Paul to shun the spotlight and keep a low profile for years. In the late 1990's he began making his way by taking small roles in movies including Blow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Batman Returns. During the early to mid 2000's he made the occasional appearance on TV shows including Reno 911, Dirt, 30 Rock, and Pushing Daisies. In recent years, he reprised his character of Pee Wee Herman in a Funny or Die sketch and in a 2016 movie on Netflix which featured Judd Apatow. 

Paul's gift of comedy and love for performative art defined his entertainment career. He knew how to make people laugh using a blend of quirkiness, childlike wonderment, satire, and whimsy that was unique among his colleagues at the time. His style was endearing and defined an entire generation.  He brought much needed joy to the world that will not be forgotten.

 Photo: CTV News