Paul Reubens AKA Pee Wee Herman Dead At Age 70

Paul Reubens, known best for his portrayal of Pee-wee Herman, has died at the age of 70, following a private battle with 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. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. 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.”

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the past 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.”

The post concluded with a request for any "expressions of sympathy" to be made to Stand Up to Cancer, any dementia/Alzheimer's organisation in honour of his late parents.

His childlike alter ego was created while he was a member of LA improv troupe The Groundlings in the 1980s.

He performed as the character on stage before bringing it to TV in 1985 for 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure.'

He continued dominating with 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' garnering 22 Emmys in five seasons. He even brought the character out in other reiterations over the years, including Broadway in 2011.

Co-produced by Judd Apatow, he brought the character to the big screen once more in 2016 with 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday.'

During his career he received many accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988, he completed a first draft of his memoir, and had several more TV projects in the works, including two more Pee-wee Herman scripts.

Two days before his death, his blog was updated with a link to purchase Pee-wee's Playhouse mugs.

He was also a huge voice actor working on titles such as, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' 'Star Wars Rebels,' 'Batman Returns' and much more. 

He was the voice of the house DJ at Oga’s Cantina at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland as well as the voice of RX-24 on Star Tours. 

He also appeared in the 1992 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' movie, 'Dunston Checks In,' 'Matilda' and TV shows including '30 Rock,' 'Pushing Daisies,' 'Gotham' and more.

Many stars are also tributing to the icon and his decades long career. See below what stars had to say:

CONAN O'BRIEN

"No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens. Everyone I know received countless nonsensical memes from Paul on their birthday, and I mean EVERYONE. His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts."

JUDD APATOW

Captioned a photo of his collaborator on Instagram with three heart emojis.

JIMMY KIMMEL

"Paul Reubens was like no one else—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. My family and I will miss him."

NATASHA LYONNE

"Love you so much, Paul. One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is."

CHER

"Goodbye Paul Goodnight sweet prince May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

PAUL FEIG

"This is devastating. Truly heartbreaking. Paul was such a comedy genius. From his Letterman appearances to his TV shows and movies, he was so original and hilarious. And such a sweet man too. This is a huge loss for comedy. Thanks for all the laughs, Paul."

DANE COOK

"Paul Reubens was a gifted performer and a nice person. He brought so much joy to people over the years as Pee Wee, my sister and I loved that character. I was privileged to work with him in a film and he was as great in real life as he was on screen. Tough news here."

DAVID HASSELHOFF

"Paul Reubens was a great, great friend. He gave me the muppets for my birthday and never forgot anyone's birthday from our class. He was in my class at CalArts and we had the same business manager. He was always kind to me and to everyone. He will be missed."