Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe the Groundlings in the s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. Reubens developed his Pee-wee character at the Groundlings. Pee-wee became an instant cult figure and, for the next decade, Reubens was completely committed to his character, doing all of his public appearances and interviews as Pee-wee. He produced and wrote a feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure , directed by Tim Burton , which was a financial and critical success.
Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee , was less successful. Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida , in The arrest set off a chain reaction of national media attention, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] though he received support from people in the entertainment industry. The arrest postponed Reubens's involvement in major projects until , when he appeared in several big-budget projects including Mystery Men and Blow Reubens subsequently started giving interviews as himself rather than as Pee-wee.
He co-wrote and starred in the Netflix original film Pee-wee's Big Holiday , reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman, in Reubens's Pee-wee character maintained an enduring popularity with both children and adults. Playhouse garnered 15 Emmy Awards during its initial run, and was aired again on late-night television in the s, during which TV Guide dubbed it among the top ten cult classic television programs. Reubens died in July from cancer.
His mother was a teacher. An Orthodox Jew , he was one of five Jewish pilots to fly against Arab forces in smuggled fighter planes. Reubens's two younger siblings are Luke born , who is a dog trainer , [ 8 ] and Abby born , [ 9 ] who is an attorney and a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.
Reubens spent much of his childhood in Oneonta, New York. As a child, he frequented the Ringling Bros. The circus atmosphere sparked Reubens's interest in entertainment and influenced his later work. He was accepted into Northwestern University 's summer program for gifted high-school students, joined the local Asolo Theater , Players of Sarasota Theater, and appeared in several plays.
