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Pee-wee Herman creator, Paul Reubens passed away on July 30, 2023. Since news of his death broke, many around the world have sent their tributes to the late actor and comedian.
He gained fame in the US and beyond for his show and has earned the respect of many around the world. In this write-up, we will be looking at what killed the Pee-Wee Herman creator.
Who Was Paul Reubens?
Paul Reubens was an American actor, writer, producer and comedian born on August 27, 1952, in New York, U.S. He gained fame for creating and playing the role of Pee-wee Herman.
Reubens has been an entertainer virtually all his life and found fulfilment through his work as an actor and comedian for over four decades. While growing up in Oneonta, NY, Reubens developed an interest in circus and anything that had to do with entertaining others.
He became a regular face at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and he derived most of his early inspirations as a comedian from the performances he saw there.
After his high school education at Sarasota high school, he first attended Plymouth State University but left after one semester and went to Boston University. From there, he started making efforts to attend acting school.
However, he was turned down by many schools before he was finally offered admission to the California Institute of the Arts. While he was there, he did a lot of part-time jobs just so he can make ends meet.
His career as an entertainer started in the 1970s when he used to perform at several local comedy clubs and also performed on The Gong Show a few times. He later began to develop the concept of “Pee-Wee Herman” in the late 1970s but only made it a reality after he auditioned for Saturday Night Live for the 1980/1981 season and didn’t get the job.
The Pee-Wee Herman show provided an avenue for greater things to come in his career. He enjoyed so much success with the show and later on, collaborated with Warner Bros to come up with the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) and “Big Top Pee-wee” in 1988.
He also joined forces with CBS to create a Saturday morning children’s program called “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” from 1986 to 1990. Reubens later reprised his role as Pee-Wee Herman in the 2016 Netflix original film “Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday”.
Paul Reubens Cause of Death
Actor Paul Reubens passed away on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, U.S. due to cancer.
The renowned entertainer had been battling cancer for six years without making it known to the public. He found joy in making others laugh and happy and hence decided to keep his health issues away from the public.
However, he managed to draft a statement about his health and apologized to his fans for not making it public earlier. The statement was released on his official Instagram account after he died.
The statement reads, “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”.
He might be dead and gone but his legacy remains intact as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989.
How Old Was Paul Reubens?
Paul Reubens died on July 30, 2023, at the age of 70. He was born on August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York to Milton and Judy Rubenfeld.
He passed away a month before his 71st birthday.
