Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens (Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952 – July 30, 2023) was an American actor and comedian, best known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman. He began his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor with the Los Angeles troupe, the Groundlings. Reubens developed the Pee-wee character during his time with the Groundlings and debuted a stage show, The Pee-wee Herman Show, in 1981. The show gained a cult following, leading to the production of the successful film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), directed by Tim Burton. Reubens continued to portray Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning program Pee-wee's Playhouse from 1986 to 1990.