Paul Reubens: Creator of Pee-wee Herman Dies at 70

Paul Reubens was an American actor and comedian who created and played the character Pee-wee Herman. Born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, he studied theater at the California Institute of the Arts and developed the character with the Groundlings improv troupe.

The Pee-wee Herman Show began in Los Angeles in 1981 and led to the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), directed by Tim Burton. Reubens starred in the Saturday morning children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse on CBS from 1986 to 1990. He revived the stage show on Broadway in 2010 and starred in the Netflix film Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016).

Reubens also appeared in Batman Returns, Blow, Murphy Brown and 30 Rock. A 1991 arrest in Sarasota, Florida, for indecent exposure hurt his career, and he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge in 2004. He kept his private life private and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on July 30, 2023, at age 70, after privately battling cancer.

Achievements: Created Pee-wee Herman (1978), Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1990), Broadway revival (2010).

Birth: August 27, 1952 - Peekskill, New York.

Profession: Actor and comedian.

Interesting Facts: A documentary, Pee-wee as Himself, was released in 2025 and won an Emmy. He had no children and never married.