Weeks after his death on July 30, 2023, it was publicly revealed that actor Paul Reubens had died from two forms of cancer that he had withheld from public knowledge for six years.
Reubens was an American actor and comedian born on August 27, 1952. His career began in the 1970s with his performance in The Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe from Los Angeles. Most of all, he was known for his creation and performance of the character Pee-wee Herman, a comedy persona originally intended for adult entertainment. With his unfitting small gray suit and bowtie, his high nasally voice, and his childlike, frenzied personality, Pee-wee quickly captured the attention of millions.
Initially starting as a stage act, the character was given an HBO special, The Pee-wee Herman Show, in 1981. As the persona gained popularity, a motion-picture film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, was created in 1985, altering the adult comedy to become more appropriate for child audiences. After the film’s critical success, the children’s television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse was released, winning an Emmy award and running from 1986 to its conclusion in 1991. A second film, Big Top Pee-wee, was released in 1988, and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday was released in 2016 after a long break.
Audiences, children especially, felt a connection to Reubens’ alter ego; the childishness appealed strongly to both young-at-heart adults and children who felt as though he was speaking on their level. Often, the lines between comedic persona and real life would be playfully blurred; whenever Reubens appeared as Pee-wee, the acting credits would say “Pee-wee Herman as Himself.” The announcement of actor Reubens’ death at age 70 on July 30th devastated millions of fans of his work.
Initially, Reubens’ cause of death was left unstated. However, months later, on September 8th, it was reported that his cause of death was acute hypoxic respiratory failure, a condition caused when the respiratory system cannot provide enough oxygen to the body. This was spurred by a form of leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer that had also spread to his lungs. This was not sudden; he had been battling cancer for six years, keeping it a secret from the public until he was nearing the end.
In a statement to the New York Times, Reubens spoke on his terminal illness: “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.”
Though Reubens is now gone, his career has led to him and his work connecting with millions, both children and adults, through the screen. He will likely remain a well-known pop culture figure for years onward, keeping his legacy alive long after his death.
