Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose character Pee-wee Herman became a cultural phenomenon through films and TV shows, has died. He was 70.
Reubens died Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he did not make public, his publicist said in a statement.
香蕉视频直播淧lease accept my apology for not going public with what I香蕉视频直播檝e been facing the last six years,香蕉视频直播� Reubens said in a statement released Monday with the announcement of his death. 香蕉视频直播淚 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.香蕉视频直播�
The character with his too-tight gray suit, white chunky loafers and red bow tie was best known for the film 香蕉视频直播淧ee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 Big Adventure香蕉视频直播� and the television series 香蕉视频直播淧ee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 Playhouse.香蕉视频直播�
The Pee-wee character would become a cultural constant for much of the 1980s, though an indecent exposure arrest in 1991 would send him into entertainment exile for years.
Herman created Pee-wee when he was part of the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings in the late 1970s. The live 香蕉视频直播淧ee-wee Herman Show香蕉视频直播� debuted at a Los Angeles theater in 1981 and was a success with both kids during matinees and adults at a midnight show.
The show closely resembled the format the Saturday morning TV 香蕉视频直播淧ee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 Playhouse香蕉视频直播� would follow years later, with Herman living in a wild and wacky home with a series of stock-character visitors, including one, Captain Karl, played by the late 香蕉视频直播淪aturday Night Live香蕉视频直播� star Phil Hartman. In the plot, Pee-wee secretly wishes to fly.
HBO would air the show as a special.
香蕉视频直播淧ee Wee got his wish to fly,香蕉视频直播� Steve Martin tweeted after his death. 香蕉视频直播淭hanks Paul Reubens for the brilliant off the wall comedy.香蕉视频直播�
Reubens took Pee-wee to the big screen in 1985香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淧ee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 Big Adventure.香蕉视频直播� The film, in which Pee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 cherished bike is stolen, was said to be loosely based on Vittorio De Sica香蕉视频直播檚 Italian neo-realist classic, 香蕉视频直播淭he Bicycle Thief.香蕉视频直播� The film, directed by Tim Burton and co-written by Phil Hartman of 香蕉视频直播淪aturday Night Live,香蕉视频直播� sent Pee-wee on a nationwide escapade. The movie was a success, grossing $40 million, and continued to spawn a cult following for its oddball whimsy.
A sequel followed three years later in the less well-received 香蕉视频直播淏ig Top Pee-wee,香蕉视频直播� in which Pee-wee seeks to join a circus. Reubens香蕉视频直播� character wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 get another movie starring role until 2016香蕉视频直播檚 Pee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 Big Holiday,香蕉视频直播� for Netflix. Judd Apatow produced Pee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 big-screen revival.
His television series, 香蕉视频直播淧ee-wee香蕉视频直播檚 Playhouse,香蕉视频直播� ran for five seasons, earned 22 Emmys and attracted not only children but adults to Saturday-morning TV.
Both silly and subversive and championing nonconformity, the Pee-wee universe was a trippy place, populated by things like a talking armchair and a friendly pterodactyl. The host, who is fond of secret words and loves fruit salad so much he once married it, is prone to lines like, 香蕉视频直播淚 know you are, but what am I?香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淲hy don香蕉视频直播檛 you take a picture; it香蕉视频直播檒l last longer?香蕉视频直播� The act was a hit because it worked on multiple levels, even though Reubens insists that wasn香蕉视频直播檛 the plan.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 for kids,香蕉视频直播� Reubens told The Associated Press in 2010. 香蕉视频直播淧eople have tried to get me for years to go, 香蕉视频直播業t wasn香蕉视频直播檛 really for kids, right?香蕉视频直播� Even the original show was for kids. I always censored myself to have it be kid-friendly.
香蕉视频直播淭he whole thing has been just a gut feeling from the beginning,香蕉视频直播� Reubens told the AP. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 all it ever is and I think always ever be. Much as people want me to dissect it and explain it, I can香蕉视频直播檛. One, I don香蕉视频直播檛 know, and two, I don香蕉视频直播檛 want to know, and three, I feel like I香蕉视频直播檒l hex myself if I know.香蕉视频直播�
Jimmy Kimmel posted on Instagram that 香蕉视频直播淧aul Reubens was like no one else 香蕉视频直播� 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.香蕉视频直播�
Reubens香蕉视频直播� career was derailed when he was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida, where he grew up. He was handed a small fine but the damage to the character was incalculable.
He became the frequent butt of late-night talk show jokes and the perception of Reubens immediately changed.
香蕉视频直播淭he moment that I realized my name was going to be said in the same sentence as children and sex, that香蕉视频直播檚 really intense,香蕉视频直播� Reubens told NBC in 2004. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 something I knew from that very moment, whatever happens past that point, something香蕉视频直播檚 out there in the air that is really bad.香蕉视频直播�
Reubens said he got plenty of offers to work, but told the AP that most of them wanted to take 香蕉视频直播渁dvantage of the luridness of my situation香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� and he didn香蕉视频直播檛 want to do them.
香蕉视频直播淚t just changed,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淓verything changed.香蕉视频直播�
In 2001, Reubens was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of child pornography after police seized images from his computer and photography collection, but the allegation was reduced to an obscenity charge and he was given three years probation.
Born Paul Rubenfield in Peekskill, New York, Reubens, the eldest of three children, grew up primarily in Sarasota before going to Boston University and the California Institute of the Arts.
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