Pee-wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens Dies at 70 — His Final Message to Fans

Paul Reubens, who brought to life the eternally youthful imp Pee-wee Herman, has died of cancer at 70.

His surprising death was announced Monday on his official Facebook page: "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."

The account offered a personal note written by Reubens to be shared at his death: "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."

His press rep Kelly Bush Novak confirmed his passing to The New York Times, saying he had fought cancer "with his trademark tenacity and wit," dying at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A.

Reubens was born August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, growing up in Sarasota, Florida, and Oneonta, New York.

An actor from his school days, he began his stand-up and performance career in the late '70s after he moved to the West Coast, including an appearance on "The Gong Show" and early work as part of the comedy troupe the Groundlings.

During his Groundlings tenure, and after failing in his audition for "Saturday Night Live," Reubens created Pee-wee Herman, an awkwardly bad comedian with an obnoxious voice Reubens recycled from a play he'd worked on in 1970. Over time, the character's unique mix of Howdy Doody and post-modern hyperactivity gelled, leading to the emergence of a character that worked with children and also with adults.

Reubens traveled the U.S. with his "The Pee-wee Herman Show," including a triumphant 1984 Carnegie Hall appearance.

Pee-wee gradually all but took over Reubens' career, including the hit film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985), directed by newcomer Tim Burton; its sequel "Big Top Pee-wee" (1988), and the Netflix film "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" (2016).

His iconic, star-studded live-action children's series "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986-1990) won 15 Emmys.

Now a full-fledged children's entertainer, Reubens suffered career setbacks with two high-profile arrests, one in 1991 for masturbating in an adult movie theater. After the ridicule surrounding that arrest, Reubens appeared at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards in character as Pee-wee, asking the crowd, "Heard any good jokes lately?!"

After battling back to regain momentum, Reubens was arrested in 2002 for misdemeanor possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct, avoiding felony charges for material that was described as vintage kitsch and a copy of Rob Lowe's sex tape. The items were part of his massive erotica collection, some of which he argued he hadn't even viewed.

He took a plea deal that included having to register as a sex offender for three years.

Beginning in 2009, Reubens revisited "The Pee-wee Herman Show" across the country and on Broadway.

Aside from Pee-wee, Reubens acted or did voice work in over 100 films and TV shows, including the movies "The Blues Brothers" (1980), "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" (1980), "Nice Dreams" (1981), "Pandemonium" (1982), "Meatballs Part II" (1984), "Batman Returns" (1992), "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992), "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993), "Doctor Dolittle" (1998), "Mystery Men" (1999), and "Blow" (2001).

He had memorable turns on series, including "Reno 911!" (2006), "30 Rock" (2007), "Dirt" (2007), "Pushing Daisies" (2007), "The Blacklist" (2014-2015), "The Conners" (2019), and "What We Do in the Shadows" (2019).