Paul Reubens, the actor who played Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday night, July 30. He was 70.
He was battling cancer before his passing, but did not make his condition known publicly.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death.
“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.”
Iconic character
The Pee-wee Herman character was known for his squeaky, high-pitched voice, bright red bowtie, and grey suit.
“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,” wrote Reubens’ estate in the caption.
“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.”
Started out in comedy
Reubens started his career in the 1970s as part of a Los Angeles live comedy troupe, Variety reported.
In 1980, he launched “The Pee-wee Herman Show”.
He developed the fictional character for years and brought it live on a stage production.
As Pee-wee became a cult figure, he landed a special at HBO.
Reubens was known to commit to the character in his interviews and public appearances.
Ventured into movies
In 1985, a feature film debut, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”, was the result of teaming up with Tim Burton.
It was a critical and commercial success.
In 1988, he made another film.
Made it big on TV
The character transitioned to television from 1986 to 1990 with the morning show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse”.
It won several Emmys.
Arrested
His image as a beloved character was tarnished in 1991, after he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theatre, NBC reported.
But he did get support from his fans and other celebrities, and received a standing ovation at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards.
Following his run-in with the law, he backed away from his character and sent it into exile, AP reported.
He did not reprise his iconic role until 2010, when he revived “The Pee-wee Herman Show” on Broadway.
Charged for obsceneity
In 2002, Reubens was charged with misdemeanor possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct, Variety reported.
This was after he turned himself in to the Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department.
As a self-proclaimed collector of erotica, naturally, Reubens disagreed with the city’s classification of pornography.
His child pornography charges were dropped in 2004.
This was after he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser misdemeanor obscenity charge.
In an interview with NBC News’ Stone Phillips, Herman said in 2005 that people should not think of him as a paedophile, even though they could think of him as being weird.
Before his death, Reubens was developing two Pee-wee Herman projects.
Top photos via Paul Reuben Instagram/ Pee-wee Herman