Paul Reubens, the actor, comedian, and writer behind the titular character of the wacky 1980s children’s series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” died Sunday at the age of 70.
A statement posted to Reubens’ Instagram account indicated the actor succumbed to cancer.
“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,” said the statement.
“Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit,” added the statement. “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 New York native, born Paul Rubenfeld to one of the founders of the Israeli Air Force and a schoolteacher, grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and first began acting at an early age.
A frequent guest of David Letterman and star of Tim Burton’s feature-length 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” Reubens made big headlines in July 1991 after he got caught by Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies publicly masturbating during a raid of the South Trail Cinema porno theater.
Yahoo Entertainment reported that Reubens offered to appear in character as Pee-wee for a kids’ benefit if the department would drop the indecent exposure charge. Rather than accept his alleged offer, the sheriff’s department hit Reubens with an attempted bribery charge.
In the immediate aftermath of the scandal, when toy stores were still scrapping Pee-wee products and scores of fans were turning on him, Reubens received support from various celebrities, including Cyndi Lauper, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, and even Bill Cosby, who claimed the situation had been “blown all out of proportion.”
Although his lawyer at the time, Dan Dannheiser, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “He does a lot of things with kids over the world, and his career will be over when the story runs,” Reubens’ career eventually rebounded.
Even his 2002 arrest in a child pornography probe failed to kill his career in Hollywood. For the 2002 charge, Reubens ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge, temporarily registered as a sex offender, and agreed to enter a counseling program, reported the Associated Press.
Over the years, he secured multiple roles, voicing characters for numerous animated children’s programs, including “Tron: Uprising” and “Minecraft: Story Mode,” appearing in the live-action series “Gotham,” “Mosaic,” and “The Blacklist” and featuring in the 1992 feature “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Ahead of his passing, Reubens requested donations to Stand Up to Cancer or organizations involved in dementia and Alzheimer’s care to honor his late parents.
In his final note to fans, Reubens 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.”
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