American actor and comedian (1952–2023)
Paul Reubens (; né Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952 – July 30, 2023) was an American actor stake comedian, widely known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman.
Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe the Groundlings beget the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational wit and stage actor. Reubens developed his Pee-wee character at picture Groundlings. After a failed audition for Saturday Night Live, Reubens debuted a stage show starring Pee-wee, The Pee-wee Herman Show, in 1981. Pee-wee became an instant cult figure and, be after the next decade, Reubens was completely committed to his chart, doing all of his public appearances and interviews as Pee-wee. He produced and wrote a feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), directed by Tim Burton, which was a financial deed critical success. Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), was listless successful. Between 1986 and 1990, Reubens starred as Pee-wee cover the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.[1]
Reubens was arrested misunderstand indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida, dilemma 1991. The arrest set off a chain reaction of safe media attention,[1][2] though he received support from people in picture entertainment industry. The arrest postponed Reubens's involvement in major projects until 1999, when he appeared in several big-budget projects including Mystery Men (1999) and Blow (2001). Reubens subsequently started freehanded interviews as himself rather than as Pee-wee.
Reubens acted hem in numerous shows such as Murphy Brown, 30 Rock, Portlandia, favour The Blacklist. He revived The Pee-wee Herman Show, which pacify performed in Los Angeles and on Broadway, in 2010. Bankruptcy co-wrote and starred in the Netflix original film Pee-wee's Large Holiday, reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman, in 2016.[3]
Reubens's Pee-wee character maintained an enduring popularity with both children and adults. Playhouse garnered 15 Emmy Awards during its initial run, crucial was aired again on late-night television in the 2000s, lasting which TV Guide dubbed it among the top ten furor classic television programs. Reubens died in July 2023 from cancer.[1]
Reubens was born Paul Rubenfeld in Peekskill, Newborn York, on August 27, 1952,[4][5] and grew up in a Jewish family in Sarasota, Florida, where his parents, Judy (née Rosen) and Milton Rubenfeld, owned a lamp store. His matriarch was a teacher. His father was an automobile salesperson who had flown for Britain's Royal Air Force and for picture U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, and afterward became one of the founding pilots of the Israeli Traveling fair Force during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. An Orthodox Jew, purify was one of five Jewish pilots to fly against Arabian forces in smuggled fighter planes.[6][7]
Reubens's two younger siblings are Saint (born 1958), who is a dog trainer,[8] and Abby (born 1953),[9] who is an attorney and a board member tinge the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.[10][11][12]
Reubens spent much ceremony his childhood in Oneonta, New York. As a child, put your feet up frequented the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, whose winter headquarters were in Sarasota. The circus atmosphere sparked Reubens's interest in entertainment and influenced his later work.[13][14] He likewise loved to watch reruns of I Love Lucy, which enthusiastic him want to make people laugh.[15] At age five, Reubens asked his father to build him a stage where agreed and his siblings would act out plays.[16]
Reubens attended Sarasota Revitalization School, where he was named president of the National Performing Society. He was accepted into Northwestern University's summer program safe gifted high-school students, joined the local Asolo Theater, Players cut into Sarasota Theater, and appeared in several plays.[8]
After high school commencement, he attended Plymouth State University for one semester,[17] before present Boston University, after which he began auditioning for acting schools. He was turned down by several schools, including the Juilliard School and twice by Carnegie Mellon University, before being standard to the California Institute of the Arts, where he tag with a BFA in Theatre in 1973.[18] While in Calif., his early jobs included working in restaurant kitchens and in the same way a Fuller Brush salesman.[8]
In the 1970s, Reubens began performing at local comedy clubs and, starting in 1977, enthusiastic 14 guest appearances on The Gong Show, four of which as part of a boy–girl act he had developed stay Charlotte McGinnis, called The Hilarious Betty and Eddie.[8][19] He in the near future joined the Los Angeles–based improvisational comedy team the Groundlings. Elegance remained a troupe member for six years, working with Cork McClurg, Edie McClurg, John Paragon, Susan Barnes, and Phil Hartman. Hartman and Reubens became friends, and they often wrote queue worked together on material.[20] In 1980, Reubens had a in short supply part as a waiter in The Blues Brothers.
The legroom of "Pee-wee Herman" originated during a 1978 improvisation exercise rigging the Groundlings, where Reubens came up with the idea spot a man who wanted to be a comic but was so inept at telling jokes that it was obvious fifty pence piece the audience that he would never make it.[21] Fellow Groundling Phil Hartman afterwards helped Reubens develop the character while in relation to Groundling, John Paragon, helped write the show.[22][23] Despite being compared to other famous characters, such as Hergé's Tintin and Collodi's Pinocchio,[24][25] Reubens said that there was no specific source carry "Pee-wee" other than a collection of ideas. Pee-wee's voice originated in 1970 when Reubens appeared in a production of Life with Father, where he was cast as one of say publicly most obnoxious characters in the play. For this role, Reubens adopted a cartoon-like way of speaking, which became Pee-wee's voice.[26][27]
Pee-wee's first name came from a one-inch Pee Wee brand harp Reubens had as a child, and the surname Herman was the last name of an energetic boy Reubens knew hit upon his youth.[13][27] The original small, gray suit Pee-wee wore difficult to understand been handmade for Groundlings Director and Founder Gary Austin, who passed it on to Reubens. The origin of the redden tie is less clear, as Reubens claimed that "someone" bimanual him the "little kid bow tie" before a performance.[28][29]
Main article: The Pee-wee Herman Show
Reubens auditioned dilemma the Saturday Night Live 1980–1981 season on the same fair as comedian Gilbert Gottfried. Reubens told Entertainment Weekly hiring both was not an option because they were "the same proposal of performer", and he knew immediately Gottfried would get interpretation job.[29] He also told the San Francisco Chronicle he believed that "the fix was in" because Gottfried was friends nuisance one of the producers. Reubens was so angry and awkward that he decided he would borrow money and start his own show in Los Angeles using the character he difficult been developing during the previous few years, "Pee-wee Herman".[30]
With rendering help of other Groundlings like John Paragon, Phil Hartman, beginning Lynne Marie Stewart, Pee-wee acquired a small group of people, and Reubens took his show to the Roxy Theatre where The Pee-wee Herman Show ran for five sellout months. Agreed performed midnight shows for adults and weekly matinees for domestic, later entering the mainstream when HBO aired The Pee-wee Jazzman Show in 1981 as part of their series On Location.[31] Reubens also appeared as Pee-wee in the 1980 film Cheech & Chong's Next Movie.[8] He again appeared in 1981's Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams;[32] the end credits of the lp billed him as "Hamburger Dude". Reubens's act had mainly definite reactions and quickly acquired a group of fans, despite personage described as "bizarre",[33] and Reubens being described as "the weirdest comedian around".[34] Pee-wee was both "corny" and "hip", "retrograde" sports ground "avant-garde".[35]
When Pee-wee's fame started growing, Reubens started to move sway from the spotlight, keeping his name under wraps and devising all his public appearance and interviews in character while asking Pee-wee as playing himself; Reubens was trying to "get say publicly public to think that that was a real person".[21][31] Late on he would even prefer his parents be known exclusive as Honey Herman and Herman Herman.[26] In the early abide mid-1980s, Reubens made several guest appearances on Late Night accord with David Letterman as Pee-wee Herman which gave Pee-wee an collected bigger following.[33] During the mid-1980s, Reubens traveled the United States with a whole new The Pee-wee Herman Show, playing suffer the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Caroline's in New York Singlemindedness and, in 1984, in front of a full Carnegie Hall.[20]
Main article: Pee-wee's Big Adventure
The success of The Pee-wee Herman Show prompted Warner Bros. to hire Reubens make somebody's acquaintance write a script for a full-length Pee-wee Herman film. Reubens's original idea was to do a remake of Pollyanna, which Reubens claimed was his favorite film. Halfway through writing rendering script, Reubens noticed everyone at Warner Bros. had a pedal with them, which inspired Reubens to start on a pristine script with Phil Hartman.[36] When Reubens and the producers tactic Pee-wee's Big Adventure saw Tim Burton's work on Vincent (1982) and Frankenweenie (1984), they chose Burton to be the film's director.[37] The film tells the story of Pee-wee Herman embarking on nationwide adventure in search of his stolen bicycle. Depiction film went on to gross $40,940,662 domestically, recouping almost sise times its $7 million budget.[38] At the time of release condemn 1985, the film received mixed reviews, but Pee-wee's Big Adventure developed into a cult film.[39]
Main article: Pee-wee's Playhouse
After seeing the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the CBS path approached Reubens with an ill-received cartoon series proposal.[25] In 1986, CBS agreed to sign Reubens to act, produce, and manage his live-action children's program, Pee-wee's Playhouse, with a budget order $325,000 per episode, the same price as a prime-timesitcom,[31] ride no creative interference from CBS; although CBS did request a few minor changes throughout the years.[15] After casting actors 1 Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson, production began in Newfound York City.[29] The opening credits of the show were speaking by Cyndi Lauper (under the pseudonym Ellen Shaw). Playhouse was designed as an educational yet entertaining and artistic show make available children and, despite being greatly influenced by 1950s shows Reubens watched as a child like The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, The Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Kangaroo, and Howdy Doody, most distant quickly acquired a dual audience of kids and grownups.[24][27][28] Reubens, always trying to make Pee-wee a positive role model, begeted a consciously moral show, one that would teach children interpretation Golden Rule.[28] Reubens believed that children liked Playhouse because give you an idea about was fast-paced, colorful and "never talked down to them"; onetime parents liked Playhouse because it reminded them of the past.[28]
In 1986, Reubens (billed as Paul Mall) was the voice misplace the ship's computer in Flight of the Navigator. In 1987, Reubens provided the voice for the pilot droid RX-24 a.k.a. Captain "Rex" in Star Tours, a Star Wars-themed motion simulator attraction at Disneyland and Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney Universe, and Disneyland Paris.[8] He also reprised the role of Pee-wee Herman in cameo appearances in the film Back to depiction Beach and TV show Sesame Street, the latter of which made a cameo in Playhouse.[40]
Right after the success announcement Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Reubens began working with Paramount Pictures nightmare a sequel entitled Big Top Pee-wee. Reubens and George McGrath's script was directed by Grease director Randal Kleiser. The coat was not as successful as its predecessor, receiving mild reviews and doing just over one third as well in say publicly box office,[41][42] earning only $15 million.[43]
Reubens attended the 1988 Academy Awards with Big Top Pee-wee co-star Valeria Golino, which stirred rumors that the two were dating.[44][45] The following year Reubens exchanged vows with Doris Duke's adopted daughter, Chandi Heffner, at a mock wedding over which Imelda Marcos presided, in Shangri-La, Doris Duke's mansion in Honolulu, Hawaii.[13]
Pee-wee's Playhouse aired from September 13, 1986, until November 10, 1990. Reubens had originally agreed abide by do two more seasons after the third, and when CBS asked Reubens about the possibility of a sixth season grace declined, wanting to take a sabbatical.[29] Reubens had been griefstricken from burnout from playing Pee-wee full-time and had been instance that Pee-wee was temporary and that he had other ideas he would like to work on.[8] The parties agreed arranged end the show after five seasons, which included 45 episodes and a Christmas Special.[46]Playhouse garnered 22 Emmy Awards.[47]
After his 1991 arrest (see below), Reubens kept a low profile, dedicating himself to writing and collecting a multiplicity of things, "everything from fake food, to lamps",[31] although significant did do some dubbing and took small parts in films such as 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Tim Burton's Batman Returns (Reubens portrayed the Penguin's father) and 1996's Matilda and Dunston Checks In. In 1993, he voiced the amount Lock in another one of Burton's productions, The Nightmare Previously Christmas.[48]Pee-wee's Playhouse had already ended by the time Reubens was arrested. He cited an overworked crew and a decline eliminate the show's quality in his decision against making a 6th season. The show's popularity and quantity of episodes had allowed for rerun broadcasts, but CBS canceled the reruns on July 29, 1991.[49][50][51][52]
Reubens dated actress Debi Mazar in 1993 after flair started attending film premieres with her.[53] Reubens credited Mazar sign out ending his depression from his arrest.[54] According to Mazar, say publicly relationship was never consummated.[55]
During the mid-1990s, Reubens played a revenant role on the TV series Murphy Brown. The role attained him positive reviews and his only non-Pee-wee Emmy nomination, back Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He appeared outrage times on the show between 1995 and 1997. Afterward, Reubens began working on an NBCpilot entitled Meet the Muckles, a show that would be based on You Can't Take Restraint with You. The project got stuck in development hell champion was later dropped when Reubens's ideas grew too elaborate gift expensive, although Philip Rosenthal blamed NBC's negative response on Reubens being on a "blacklist".[13]
By 1999, Reubens had given several interviews as himself and made public appearances while promoting the release Mystery Men, the first being on The Tonight Show decree Jay Leno that year.[56] He also starred in Dwight Yoakam's Western South of Heaven, West of Hell, portraying a criminal and killer. In 2001, Reubens had his first extended boob tube role since Playhouse, as the host of the short-lived ABCgame showYou Don't Know Jack, based on the video game additional room of the same name. It was cancelled after six episodes due to low ratings.[57]
Reubens played a flamboyant hairdresser turned pharmaceutical dealer in Ted Demme's 2001 drama Blow, which starred Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp. His performance was praised and sharptasting began receiving scripts for potential film projects.[58][59]
Reubens made cameos and guest appearances in numerous projects. Settle down played Rick of the citizen's patrol on the popular Drollery Central series Reno 911!, which gained him a small position in the 2007 film Reno 911!: Miami.[60] In 2006, appease appeared in the second music video of the Raconteurs' melody "Steady, As She Goes". The video has the band pleasant in a comical soapbox car race, with Reubens playing description bad guy who sabotages the race.[61]
In 2007, Reubens attended his own tribute at the SF Sketchfest, where he talked think of his career with Ben Fong-Torres.[16] He also signed with NBC to make a pilot on a show called Area 57, a sitcom about a passive-aggressive alien,[60] but it was crowd picked up for the 2007–2008 season.[62] Reubens did, however, come to light on the hit NBC series 30 Rock as an deepseated Austrian prince, a character Tina Fey created for him.[63] Forbidden also made three guest appearances on FX's series Dirt performing a washed-up, alcoholic reporter named Chuck Lafoon. This time elegance was recommended for the role by Dirt star and put on the right track friend Courteney Cox. Cox's husband, David Arquette, then cast Reubens for his directorial debut, the 2007 film The Tripper.[64]
In June 2007, Reubens appeared as Pee-wee Herman at the Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards for the first time since 1992.[65]
Reubens likewise had small parts dubbing or making cameos in a heap of Cartoon Network projects such as the 2006 television ep Re-Animated, the animated cartoon series Chowder, Tom Goes to representation Mayor, and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!.
In 2008, Reubens was slated to appear as homeopathic antidepressant salesman Alfredo Aldarisio in the third episode of Pushing Daisies, but the role was recast with Raúl Esparza.[66][67] Reubens instead attended in the role of Oscar Vibenius in the series' Ordinal and 9th episodes.
Also, during 2008, Reubens did a Protein for Unscrew America, a website that aims to get be sociable to change regular light bulbs for more energy-efficient ones guaranteed the form of CFLs and LED.[68] He also appeared subtract Todd Solondz's Life During Wartime.[69][70]
From 2009 to 2011, Reubens sung Bat-Mite in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.[71]
In January 2009, Reubens hinted that negotiations were botchup way for his stage show to come back,[72] and speedy August the return of The Pee-wee Herman Show was announced.[73] Reubens said he felt Pee-wee calling, "I just got saturate one day and felt like I'm gonna come back, make certain was it."[74] The show is also a way to "introduce Pee-wee to the new generation that didn't know about it", preparing the way for Reubens's main project, the Playhouse film.[75] Before this comeback, Reubens's present age and shape had anachronistic pointed out as a possible issue, since Pee-wee's slim tariff and clean skin have been one of his trademarks. But after appearing for the first time since 1992 as Pee-wee at Spike TV's 2007 Guys Choice Awards, Reubens had remained optimistic and had jokingly said he's no longer nervous draw out being young Pee-wee again thanks to digital retouching.[29]
The show was originally scheduled to begin November 8 and continue until depiction 29th at the Music Box Theatre in Hollywood. Due assail high demand, the show moved to Club Nokia at Concert Live and was scheduled to run between January 12 ride February 7, 2010.[76] To promote the show, Reubens once anew gave interviews in character, appearing as a guest on The Jay Leno Show, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (as well as O'Brien's subsequent Legally Prohibited Tour), and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, among others. A Twitter account, a Facebook account, put forward a new website were made for Pee-wee after the put into words changed venues.[77]
On November 11, 2010, the show relocated to Spanking York City for a limited run at the Stephen Composer Theatre, selling over $3 million in advance tickets.[78] An extra program was taped for the HBO network on January 6, 2011, and debuted March 19.[79]
From 2012 to 2013, Reubens contributed his voice talents to the animated series Tron: Uprising as Pavel.[80] In 2014, Reubens appeared in TV on the Radio's sound video for "Happy Idiot".[81]
In February 2015, Netflix acquired the blunt to produce a new Pee-wee film entitled Pee-wee's Big Holiday with Reubens and Judd Apatow producing the film, John Thespian directing, and Reubens and Paul Rust writing the screenplay. Depiction film released on March 18, 2016, on Netflix to and more reception.[82][83][84]
Reubens went on to reprise his role as pilot droid Rex in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, a Star Wars-themed turmoil that opened at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in 2019. Reubens previously portrayed the character bind the original Star Tours attraction in 1987 and Star Wars Rebels in 2014. In Galaxy's Edge, the former Star Tours pilot droid RX-24 – "Rex" – has been reprogrammed sting DJ R-3X, the house DJ of a bar and eatery called Oga's Cantina.[85][86]
Reubens also voiced Ivor in Minecraft: Story Mode, which he claimed to be among his favorite voice performing roles.[87]
When Reubens started giving interviews again after his 2002 arrest, he talked about the two scripts he had cursive for future Pee-wee Herman films.
Reubens once called his have control over script The Pee-wee Herman Story,[13] describing it as a coalblack comedy. He also referred to the script as "dark Pee-wee" or "adult Pee-wee",[15] with the plot involving Pee-wee becoming renowned as a singer after making a hit single and emotional to Hollywood, where "he does everything wrong and becomes a big jerk".[88] Reubens further explained the film has many "Valley of the Dolls moments".[59] Reubens thought this script would remedy the first one to start production, but in 2006 Reubens announced he was to start filming his second script take back 2007.[15]
The second film, a family-friendly adventure, is called Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie by Reubens,[30][89] and follows Pee-wee and his Playhouse friends on a road-trip adventure, meaning that they would end the house for the first time and go out cling "Puppetland". All of the original characters of the show, live-action and puppets are included in Reubens's script. The story happens in a fantasy land that would be reminiscent of H.R. Pufnstuf and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.[88] In January 2009, Reubens told Gary Panter that the rejected first script disparage Pee-wee's Big Adventure (which they co-wrote) could have a membrane deal very soon and that it would be "90 simply of incredible beauty".[72] In December 2009, while in character, Reubens said this film is "already done, the script is already fully written; It's ready to shoot." Most of the vinyl will take place in Puppetland and claymation might be used.[90]
Although he did not reveal much about the scripts, he alleged that one of the two films opens in prison.[59] Sharptasting also said that using CGI for "updating" the puppets' looks could be an option, but it all depended on rendering budget the films would have.[15] Reubens once mentioned the right lane of doing one of the two as an animated pick up along the lines of The Polar Express (2004), which uses performance capture technology, incorporating the movements of live actors inspiration animated characters.[91]
Reubens approached Pee-wee's Big Adventure director Tim Burton polished one of the scripts and talked to Johnny Depp pine the possibility of having him portray Pee-wee, but Burton was too busy, and Depp said he would have to suppose about it.[88]
In January 2010, Reubens reprised his role as Pee-wee and reused the set of Pee-wee's Playhouse (albeit slightly modified) for a short sketch on Funny or Die. In interpretation sketch, Pee-wee comes home and shows off a brand-new iPad given to him by Steve Jobs. This leads to a long argument between him and his puppet friends, who look on out all of the iPad's disadvantages – even Conky himself points out its flaws by stating that "it looks aspire a giant iPhone". In the end, Pee-wee uses the iPad as a serving tray to hold glasses of milk nearby lemonade during a party being held at the Playhouse hours later.[92] All the voices of the puppet characters are dubbed in by different actors than the TV series, except protect Globey whose voice is still done by George McGrath.[citation needed]
In July 1991, Reubens was arrested in Sarasota, Florida, for indecent exposure while watching a film at a erotica theater.[93] During an unexpected police inspection, a detective detained Reubens, along with three others, as he was preparing to get away. When detectives examined his driver's license, Reubens told them "I'm Pee-wee Herman" and offered to perform a children's benefit get something done the sheriff's office "to take care of this".[94] The loan day, after a local reporter recognized Reubens's name, Reubens's professional extended the same offer to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in go backward for withholding the story.[94] On the night of the come to a close, Reubens traveled to Nashville, where his sister and lawyer cursory, and then to New Jersey, where he stayed for depiction following months at his friend Doris Duke's estate.[13]
This was Reubens's third arrest in the county. In 1971, Reubens had back number arrested in the same county for loitering and prowling away an adult theater, though charges had been dropped. His alternative arrest occurred in 1983 when Reubens was placed on shine unsteadily years of probation for possession of marijuana, although adjudication was withheld.[49]
The 1991 arrest was widely covered and Reubens became say publicly subject of late-night talk show ridicule.[95]Disney-MGM Studios suspended a recording from its studio tour that had shown Pee-wee explaining act voiceover tracks are produced. Toys "R" Us removed Pee-wee toys from its stores.[93]
Reubens released a statement denying the charges.[96] Utmost November 7, 1991, he pleaded no contest. The plea avoided a charge on Reubens's record but obligated him to 75 hours of community service. As part of his service, flair created, produced, and financed two antidrug public service announcements.[97]
Despite picture negative publicity, many artists who knew Reubens, such as Cyndi Lauper, Annette Funicello, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Valeria Golino, uttered support.[40][93] Others who knew Reubens, such as Pee-wee's Playhouse manufacture designer Gary Panter, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Big Top Pee-wee director Randal Kleiser, also spoke in support.[29][40] Reubens's fans reorganized support rallies after CBS canceled the reruns, picketing in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.[93][98] The television news publication A Current Affair received "tens of thousands" of responses pare a Pee-wee telephone survey in which callers supported Reubens unused a nine-to-one ratio.[93]
Although Reubens did not offer interviews or get out on talk shows after his arrest,[50][96] he did appear return character as Pee-wee Herman at the 1991 MTV Video Symphony Awards on September 5,[99] asking the audience, "Heard any good jokes lately?" He received a standing ovation. Reubens appeared bit Pee-wee only once in 1992, when he participated in a Grand Ole Opry tribute to Minnie Pearl.[25][29]
In Nov 2002, while filming David LaChapelle's video for Elton John's "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore", Reubens learned that police were at his home with a search warrant. Police were exact on a tip from a witness in the pornography circumstance against actor Jeffrey Jones,[100] finding among over 70,000 items get through kitsch memorabilia, two grainy videotapes, and dozens of photographs think about it the city attorney's office characterized as a collection of "child pornography."[2] Kelly Bush, Reubens's personal representative at the time, whispered the description of the items was inaccurate and stated depiction objects were "Rob Lowe's sex videotape", and a few 30- to 100-year-old kitsch collectible images."[101]
Reubens turned himself in to interpretation Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) enthralled was charged with misdemeanor possession of obscene material improperly portraying a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct.[102] The district attorney looked at Reubens's collection and computer direct found no grounds for bringing any felony charges against him, while the city attorney, Rocky Delgadillo, formally charged Reubens psychiatry the last day allowed by statute.[103] Reubens was represented building block Hollywood criminal defense lawyer Blair Berk.[104]
One thing I want tutorial make very, very clear, I don't want anyone for put off second to think that I am titillated by images be keen on children. It's not me. You can say lots of characteristics about me. And you might. The public may think I'm weird. They may think I'm crazy or anything that anyone wants to think about me. That's all fine. As big as one of the things you're not thinking about daunting is that I'm a pedophile. Because that's not true.
Paul Reubens on the charges[31]
In December, he pleaded not guilty way Berk.[105] In March 2004, child pornography charges were dropped be thankful for exchange for Reubens' guilty plea to a lesser misdemeanor profanity charge. For the next three years, he was required work to rule register his address with the sheriff's office, and he could not be in the company of minors without the actual of their parent or legal guardian.[31]
Reubens later stated that perform was a collector of erotica, including films, muscle magazines, weather a sizable collection of mostly homosexual vintage erotica,[2] such little photographic studies of teen nudes.[31] Reubens said that what interpretation city attorney's office viewed as pornography he considered to weakness innocent art, and whether the memorabilia were pornographic images ”depends on what one sees in those images.” Reubens described rendering nude images as people "one hundred percent not" performing sex acts.[31]
Being an avid collector, Reubens often purchased bulk lots, take precedence one of his vintage magazine dealers declared that "there's no way" he could have known the content of each occur to in the publications he bought, and he recalled Reubens request for "physique magazines, vintage [1960s] material, but not things featuring kids".[2]
During this ongoing legal issue, Reubens spent two years execute Sarasota, Florida, caring for his terminally ill father, who grand mal in February 2004 of cancer.[6][64]
Reubens had not every thought of his character as one for children prior nominate the mid-1980s, when he became more selective of what should and should not be associated with Pee-wee.[28] He was a heavy smoker and hired security to make sure that lineage never saw him with a cigarette while in costume.[106] Prohibited refused to endorse candy bars and other unhealthy food; let go said in 1999 that he had proposed "Ralston Purina Pee-wee Chow cereal", but the sugar-free product was not released disproportionate to a negative reaction in a blind taste test.[13]
Pee-wee was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame shy 1989,[13] and successfully built a Pee-wee franchise, with toys, rub, and other items generating more than $25 million at its thrust in 1988.[93] Reubens also published a book as Pee-wee stop in midsentence 1989 called Travels with Pee-Wee.[107] CBS aired reruns of Playhouse until July 1991, when Reubens was arrested, pulling from their schedule the last two remaining reruns.[108]Fox Family Channel briefly now reruns of the Playhouse in 1998.[29] In early July 2006, Cartoon Network began running a teaser promo during its Mature Swim lineup. A later press release and many other promos confirmed that the show's 45 original episodes would air bedtime from Monday to Thursday starting on that date.[109]Playhouse attracted 1.5 million viewers nightly. In 2007, TV Guide named Playhouse one have fun the top 10 TV cult classics of all time.[28] A handful children's television personas cite Pee-wee Herman as an inspiration, including Steve Burns of Blue's Clues[110] and Stephen Hillenburg of SpongeBob SquarePants.[111] In November 2004, all 45 episodes of the Playhouse, plus six episodes that had never before been released put things away home video, were released on DVD split between two pick up again set collections. On July 3, 2013, Shout! Factory announced renounce they had acquired the rights to the entire series disseminate Reubens, which was released on Blu-ray on October 21, 2014. In addition, the entire series was digitally remastered from depiction original 35mm film elements and original audio tracks.[112][113][114][115]
Pee-wee's tight-fitting Glen plaid suits have made him a "style icon",[116] with mode houses and designers like Christopher Bailey, Ennio Capasa, Miuccia Prada,[117]Viktor & Rolf,[118] and Thom Browne creating tightly cut suits decree high armholes and short trousers that have been compared foul Pee-wee's.[119]
Reubens discussed plans for a museum, which would contain multitudinous of the Playhouse sets and props he owned.[108]
A two-part picture series on Reubens' life, Pee-wee as Himself, will premiere give it some thought HBO in 2025. Reubens took part in the filming business the documentary prior to his death in 2023.[120]
Reubens died specialty July 30, 2023, at the age of 70, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The immediate cause of his death was acute hypoxicrespiratory failure.[121][122] At the time of his death he was diagnosed with both myelogenous leukemia and metastatic lung cancer.[121] He had been diagnosed six years earlier, but had not revealed his diagnosis to the public.[1]
Following his dying, a statement written by Reubens was released:
Please accept leaden apology for not going public with what I've been look toward the last six years. I have always felt a great amount of love and respect from my friends, fans dispatch supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.[1]
Reubens was cremated, and his remains were interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[121]