American actor Paul Reubens dies at 70 after private cancer battle
Born Paul Reubenfeld in New York, his father flew for the Israeli air force in 1948
August 1, 2023 09:17
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: Actor Paul Reubens 'Pee-wee Herman' speaks onstage at the 10th Annual TV Land Awards at the Lexington Avenue Armory on April 14, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
American actor Paul Reubens, the creator and star of Pee Wee Herman, has died at the age of 70 after a private battle with cancer.
Born to Jewish parents in Peekskill, New York in 1952, Reubens was raised in Sarasota, Florida before turning to acting in his late twenties, making his debut in Pray TV, a satirical film about Christian televangelism in 1981.
Reubens' father, Milton Reubenfeld, flew for the RAF in the Second World War, volunteering despite America's early reluctance to get involved.
Milton Rubenfeld, father of Paul Reubens, a pilot for the US Airforce, RAF and a founding pilot of the Israeli Airforce
He later became one of the five founding pilots in the Israeli Air Force during the 1948 War of Independence. The small squadron of just five planes is credited with turning the tide of the war against the invading Arab armies.
He eventually settled in Florida with his wife Judy and son Paul, who took an interest in comedy from an early age. In his twenties, Paul moved to LA to join the Groundlings comedy troupe where he formed the character of Pee Wee Herman.
In an interview on CNN in 1981, Reubens described the character of Pee Wee Herman as "a conglomerate of me and other kids I knew growing up" and a "real-life cartoon."
The Laugh Factory pays tribute to actor Paul Reubens on July 31, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
The actor thought the name "Pee-wee Herman" sounded "too real to be made up, and like a real name a parent would give a child that they didn't really care about"
After a failed audition for American comedy show Saturday Night Live, Reubens started The Pee-wee Herman Show and became a cult figure.
Over the next decades, Reubens made several feature films and had a CBS Saturday morning children's TV show called Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse.
Flowers and memorabilia placed on the star of Pee-Wee Herman on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
He finally made it to SNL in 1985, becoming the first guest host of the show to remain in character for the duration of his performance. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood walk of fame in 1988.
In 1985, Paul Reubens, as Pee Wee Herman, became of the rare few to host SNL completely in character. pic.twitter.com/Gz0suQE8Di
In 1991, Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in a cinema in Sarasota, Florida and despite all charges being dropped, didn't star in a major project again until 1999.
He reprised his role several times in his later years, including in the Netflix film, Pee Wee Herman's Big Holiday, released in 2016.
In an Instagram post published after his death from cancer on Monday, the actor wrote:"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."
His fellow comedians paid tribute on social media, with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel saying: "Paul Reubens was like no one else - a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time. He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him."
Orange is the new black star Natasha Lyonne added: "Love you so much, Paul. One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is."
Last year in his Netflix show, comedian Phil Rosenthal told Reubens: "Pee-Wee is one of the greatest inventions in the history of comedy." adding "I just wanted to say that while we have you.”
