Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose character Pee-wee Herman became a cultural phenomenon through movies and television shows, has passed away. He was 70 years old. Reubens died Sunday night after a six-year battle with cancer that she did not disclose to his supporters, his publicist said in a statement.
“Please accept my apologies for not going public with what I have faced over the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement issued with the announcement of his death. “I have always felt a great deal of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved them all very much and I’ve enjoyed making art for you.”
The character, in his too-tight gray suit, chunky white loafers and red bow tie, was mostly known from the movie Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (“Pee-wee’s Big Adventure)” and TV series Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
Reubens was born in Peekskill, New York, his real name was Paul Rubenfield, The oldest of three children, he grew up primarily in Sarasota before entering Boston University and the California Institute of the Arts.
Pee-wee would become a important cultural figure through much of the 1980s, although a arrest for indecent exposure in 1991 it would send him into exile in the entertainment industry for years.