138-477: Pee-wee Herman is a comedy character created and portrayed by the American comedian Paul Reubens . He starred in films and television series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that quickly led to an HBO special in 1981. As the stage performance gained further popularity, Reubens took the character to motion picture with Pee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985, toning down
276-538: A Facebook account, and a new website were made for Pee-wee after the show changed venues. On November 11, 2010, the show relocated to New York City for a limited run at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre , selling over $ 3 million in advance tickets. An extra performance was taped for the HBO network on January 6, 2011, and debuted March 19. From 2012 to 2013, Reubens contributed his voice talents to
414-685: A Star Wars -themed land that opened at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in 2019. Reubens previously portrayed the character in the original Star Tours attraction in 1987 and Star Wars Rebels in 2014. In Galaxy's Edge, the former Star Tours pilot droid RX-24 – "Rex" – has been reprogrammed into DJ R-3X, the house DJ of a bar and restaurant called Oga's Cantina. Reubens also voiced Ivor in Minecraft: Story Mode , which he claimed to be among his favorite voice acting roles. When Reubens started giving interviews again after his 2002 arrest, he talked about
552-492: A black comedy . He also referred to the script as "dark Pee-wee" or "adult Pee-wee", with the plot involving Pee-wee becoming famous as a singer after making a hit single and moving to Hollywood , where "he does everything wrong and becomes a big jerk". Reubens further explained the film has many " Valley of the Dolls moments". Reubens thought this script would be the first one to start production, but in 2006 Reubens announced he
690-521: A "road" movie. Reubens said that, although he feels confident that he can still portray Pee-wee himself, he would optionally cast Johnny Depp if needed. He said "My second option is to have Johnny Depp play Pee-wee." He said he spoke to Depp himself and that the actor asked for time to think about it. During the 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego, Reubens told MTV that he hoped to have Justin Bieber make
828-488: A bike with them, which inspired Reubens to start on a new script with Phil Hartman. When Reubens and the producers of Pee-wee's Big Adventure saw Tim Burton 's work on Vincent (1982) and Frankenweenie (1984), they chose Burton to be the film's director. The film tells the story of Pee-wee Herman embarking on nationwide adventure in search of his stolen bicycle. The film went on to gross $ 40,940,662 domestically, recouping almost six times its $ 7 million budget. At
966-550: A boy–girl act he had developed with Charlotte McGinnis, called The Hilarious Betty and Eddie . He soon joined the Los Angeles –based improvisational comedy team the Groundlings . He remained a troupe member for six years, working with Bob McClurg, Edie McClurg , John Paragon , Susan Barnes, and Phil Hartman . Hartman and Reubens became friends, and they often wrote and worked together on material. In 1980, Reubens had
1104-456: A cameo appearance in the film Back to the Beach . Reubens also filmed an insert for Sesame Street as Pee-wee, reciting his own version of the alphabet. In 1987, Pee-wee appeared on the hit primetime sitcom 227 alongside Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry . The following year, a sequel to Pee-wee's Big Adventure , Big Top Pee-wee , was filmed. That same year "Pee-wee" was awarded a star on
1242-403: A cameo appearance toward the end of the movie. He also stated that filming of the movie had not started yet, but hoped to begin filming in the next couple of months. Years before working on his Playhouse film script, Reubens had written a script for "the dark Pee-wee film", but "not really very dark", entitled The Pee-wee Herman Story . At a Groundlings reunion in 1999, Reubens even joked about
1380-517: A cameo on the penultimate episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien as host and during O'Brien's stop at Radio City Music Hall in New York City for The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour . Original plans for a November 2009 stage debut were scrapped when demand for tickets prompted a move to a larger theater. The Pee-wee Herman Stage Show: The Return opened on January 12, 2010, at Club Nokia in Los Angeles for
1518-405: A cartoon-like way of speaking, which became Pee-wee's voice. Pee-wee's first name came from a one-inch Pee Wee brand harmonica Reubens had as a child, and the surname Herman was the last name of an energetic boy Reubens knew from his youth. The original small, gray suit Pee-wee wore had been handmade for Groundlings Director and Founder Gary Austin , who passed it on to Reubens. The origin of
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#17327977327831656-617: A child like The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show , The Mickey Mouse Club , Captain Kangaroo , and Howdy Doody , it quickly acquired a dual audience of kids and grownups. Reubens, always trying to make Pee-wee a positive role model, created a consciously moral show, one that would teach children the Golden Rule . Reubens believed that children liked Playhouse because it was fast-paced, colorful and "never talked down to them"; while parents liked Playhouse because it reminded them of
1794-588: A child, he frequented the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus , whose winter headquarters were in Sarasota. The circus atmosphere sparked Reubens's interest in entertainment and influenced his later work. He also loved to watch reruns of I Love Lucy , which made him want to make people laugh. At age five, Reubens asked his father to build him a stage where he and his siblings would act out plays. Reubens attended Sarasota High School , where he
1932-532: A children's benefit for the sheriff's office "to take care of this". The next day, after a local reporter recognized Reubens's name, Reubens's attorney extended the same offer to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in exchange for withholding the story. On the night of the arrest, Reubens traveled to Nashville , where his sister and lawyer lived, and then to New Jersey, where he stayed for the following months at his friend Doris Duke 's estate. This
2070-591: A combination of multiple complaints of overworked crew members and a feeling that the Pee-wee character had run its course , which ultimately resulted in Reubens deciding against a sixth season. However, due to its widespread popularity, CBS elected to rerun Playhouse in syndication. The arrest was widely covered, and both the character Pee-wee and Reubens became the subject of ridicule. CBS stopped airing Playhouse and Disney-MGM Studios suspended from its studio tour
2208-404: A fantasy land that would be reminiscent of H.R. Pufnstuf and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . In January 2009, Reubens told Gary Panter that the rejected first script of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (which they co-wrote) could have a movie deal very soon, and that it would be "90 minutes of incredible beauty". In December 2009, while in character, Reubens said this film is "already done, the script
2346-505: A film deal very soon and that it would be "90 minutes of incredible beauty". In December 2009, while in character, Reubens said this film is "already done, the script is already fully written; It's ready to shoot." Most of the film will take place in Puppetland and claymation might be used. Although he did not reveal much about the scripts, he said that one of the two films opens in prison. He also said that using CGI for "updating"
2484-468: A flamboyant hairdresser turned drug dealer in Ted Demme 's 2001 drama Blow , which starred Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp . His performance was praised and he began receiving scripts for potential film projects. Reubens made cameos and guest appearances in numerous projects. He played Rick of the citizen's patrol on the popular Comedy Central series Reno 911! , which gained him a small role in
2622-552: A guided tour of the basement on the Alamo grounds, which is used to store gift shop merchandise. Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie is a proposed film allegedly greenlit by Paramount Pictures . Reubens's third scripted movie, written at the same time as his adult-oriented Pee-wee script, was announced in late summer 2006. He first announced he had finished the script on Late Show with David Letterman , and later revealed further details to Time magazine reporter Dennis Van Tine. Filming
2760-487: A homosexual's confidence and he could safely risk my disapproval. Once as I watched a luncheon companion become an effeminate caricature of himself, he apologized, 'It is hard to always remember that one is a man.'" Before Stonewall, " closet " culture accepted homosexuality as effeminate behaviour, and thus emphasized camp , drag , and swish , including an interest in fashion and decorating. Masculine gay men were marginalised and formed their own communities, such as
2898-722: A lascivious style, often suggestively wiggling his buttocks in such a way as to suggest anal intercourse....The primary meaning of cinaedus never died out; the term never became a dead metaphor ." The late Greek Erôtes ("Loves", "Forms of Desire", "Affairs of the Heart"), preserved with manuscripts by Lucian , contains a debate "between two men, Charicles and Callicratidas, over the relative merits of women and boys as vehicles of male sexual pleasure." Callicratidas, "far from being effeminised by his sexual predilection for boys... Callicratidas's inclination renders him hypervirile... Callicratidas's sexual desire for boys, then, makes him more of
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#17327977327833036-477: A limited four-week schedule. The show moved to Broadway in New York at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on November 11, 2010. Much like the original stage show, the new production revolved around Pee-wee's desire to fly. It had 11 actors, 20 puppets and marked the show's first production since 1982. It employed many of the same set artists and the musical composer from Pee-wee's original stage show as well as some of
3174-471: A long argument between him and his puppet friends, who point out all of the iPad's disadvantages – even Conky himself points out its flaws by stating that "it looks like a giant iPhone ". In the end, Pee-wee uses the iPad as a serving tray to hold glasses of milk and lemonade during a party being held at the Playhouse hours later. All the voices of the puppet characters are dubbed in by different actors than
3312-635: A low profile, dedicating himself to writing and collecting a variety of things, "everything from fake food, to lamps", although he did do some dubbing and took small parts in films such as 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Tim Burton 's Batman Returns (Reubens portrayed the Penguin 's father) and 1996's Matilda and Dunston Checks In . In 1993, he voiced the character Lock in another one of Burton's productions, The Nightmare Before Christmas . Pee-wee's Playhouse had already ended by
3450-488: A low, "Heh Heh Heh" laugh became the character's catch phrase , as did his insult comeback, "I know you are, but what am I?" Pee-wee Herman's signature gray glen plaid suit was originally a custom -made suit that Reubens had borrowed from the Groundlings director, Gary Austin ; the small red bow tie was given to him by an acquaintance. Pee-wee's later checkered clothing and persona were largely lifted from manic 1950s children's TV host Pinky Lee . Also incorporated into
3588-419: A man; it does not weaken or subvert his male gender identity but rather consolidates it." In contrast, "Charicles' erotic preference for women seems to have had the corresponding effect of effeminising him: when the reader first encounters him, for example, Charicles is described as exhibiting 'a skillful use of cosmetics, so as to be attractive to women. ' " Over-refinement, fine clothes and other possessions,
3726-456: A monster. He does everything wrong and becomes a big jerk. It was because of the adult situations of this script that Reubens sat down and started writing the Playhouse movie script. At first, Reubens was going to do the adult Pee-wee movie first, but within a few months, Reubens announced that it was very likely that the Playhouse movie would be made first. A third idea came about to make
3864-539: A new Pee-wee Herman feature film set up at Universal Pictures , with Reubens and Paul Rust set to write the script. In an October 2014, interview with Rolling Stone , Reubens gave an update on the status of the film, saying: "It's been months and months of being right on the verge of being announced…I thought something was going to go public yesterday, actually, and that you'd be the first person I'd be talking about this with. But I'm thinking there will be something made public very soon. It's going to get made shortly after
4002-429: A performance in which its members created characters one might see in a comedy club. Reubens decided to play a guy that everyone immediately knew would never make it as a comic, partly because Reubens could not remember jokes in real life – he had trouble remembering punch lines and could not properly piece information in sequential order. Pee-wee Herman was born that night, his distinctive guttural "Ha Ha", followed by
4140-405: A pilot on a show called Area 57 , a sitcom about a passive-aggressive alien, but it was not picked up for the 2007–2008 season. Reubens did, however, appear on the hit NBC series 30 Rock as an inbred Austrian prince, a character Tina Fey created for him. He also made three guest appearances on FX 's series Dirt playing a washed-up, alcoholic reporter named Chuck Lafoon. This time he
4278-464: A possible issue, since Pee-wee's slim figure and clean skin have been one of his trademarks. But after appearing for the first time since 1992 as Pee-wee at Spike TV's 2007 Guys Choice Awards, Reubens had remained optimistic and had jokingly said he's no longer nervous about being young Pee-wee again thanks to digital retouching. The show was originally scheduled to begin November 8 and continue until
Pee-wee Herman - Misplaced Pages Continue
4416-550: A reality-based Pee-wee film like those in the 1980s. In 2010, Reubens announced he is working on making this version with Judd Apatow , who wrote and directed the films Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin . In 2013, Reubens reported that Pee-Wee will soon return with a new film which he plans to start shooting in 2014. While promoting his voice role in The Smurfs 2 , Reubens told the Los Angeles Times on
4554-406: A show that would be based on You Can't Take It with You . The project got stuck in development hell and was later dropped when Reubens's ideas grew too elaborate and expensive, although Philip Rosenthal blamed NBC's negative response on Reubens being on a "blacklist". By 1999, Reubens had given several interviews as himself and made public appearances while promoting the film Mystery Men ,
4692-551: A small group of followers, and Reubens took his show to the Roxy Theatre where The Pee-wee Herman Show ran for five sellout months. He performed midnight shows for adults and weekly matinees for children, later entering the mainstream when HBO aired The Pee-wee Herman Show in 1981 as part of their series On Location . Reubens also appeared as Pee-wee in the 1980 film Cheech & Chong's Next Movie . He again appeared in 1981's Cheech & Chong 's Nice Dreams ;
4830-530: A small part as a waiter in The Blues Brothers . The character of "Pee-wee Herman" originated during a 1978 improvisation exercise with the Groundlings, where Reubens came up with the idea of a man who wanted to be a comic but was so inept at telling jokes that it was obvious to the audience that he would never make it. Fellow Groundling Phil Hartman afterwards helped Reubens develop the character while another Groundling, John Paragon , helped write
4968-481: A special on September 11, 1981. Following the success of The Pee-wee Herman Show , in the early and mid-1980s Reubens made several guest appearances on Late Night with David Letterman as Pee-wee Herman. These performances gave Pee-wee an even bigger following than he had with his HBO special. In 1983, Pee-wee Herman traveled the United States with The Pee-wee Herman Show , making highly publicized stops at
5106-473: A stage show with the Herman character, which made one of his first appearances in the 1980 film Cheech & Chong's Next Movie . He first plays a rude receptionist in the film, spewing obscenities at police and being arrested. The character is later introduced as Pee-wee Herman, approaching the stage just before disputing with the film's title characters again. Shortly after the film, Reubens took Pee-wee to
5244-466: A video that showed Pee-wee explaining how voice-over tracks were made and Toys "R" Us removed Pee-wee toys from its stores. However, Disney's Star Tours , which featured voicework from Reubens, remained unaltered. Despite the negative publicity, many artists who knew Reubens, such as Cyndi Lauper , Annette Funicello , Zsa Zsa Gabor and Valeria Golino , spoke out in his support. Bill Cosby defended Reubens, saying "Whatever (Reubens has) done, this
5382-462: Is perceived to identify, embody, or express femininely and toward people and objects gendered femininely." Since the 2000s, Peter Hennen 's cultural analysis of gay masculinities has found effeminacy to be a "historically varying concept deployed primarily as a means of stabilising a given society's concept of masculinity and controlling the conduct of its men based upon the repudiation of the feminine". Femboy (alternatively spelled femboi )
5520-464: Is a man who cross-dresses or flirts like a girl. Indeed, the word's etymology suggests an indirect sexual act emulating a promiscuous woman. This term has been borrowed from the Greek kinaidos (which may itself have come from a language of Ionian Greeks of Asia Minor , primarily signifying a purely effeminate dancer who entertained his audiences with a tympanum or tambourine in his hand, and adopted
5658-612: Is a modern slang term used to refer to a male who displays traditionally feminine characteristics, such as wearing dresses, skirts, and/or thigh-highs. It is a portmanteau of feminine and boy . The term femboy emerged by at least the 1990s and gained traction online, used in both sexual and non-sexual contexts. Recently, femboys have become increasingly visible due to their inclusion in popular media, and trends such as "Femboy Friday" and "Femboy Hooters". These trends involve self-identifying femboys posting images of themselves in online groups and forums, dressed in feminine clothing or
Pee-wee Herman - Misplaced Pages Continue
5796-408: Is already fully written; It's ready to shoot." Most of the film will take place in Puppetland and claymation might be used. Reubens said one of the two films opens in prison. He also said that using CGI for "updating" the puppets' looks could be an option, but it all depended on the budget the films would have. Reubens once mentioned the possibility of doing one of the two as an animated film along
5934-576: Is being blown all out of proportion." Other people who knew Reubens, such as Playhouse' s production designer Gary Panter , S. Epatha Merkerson and Big Top Pee-wee director Randal Kleiser , also spoke out against the way Reubens was being treated by the media. Reubens's fans also organized rallies of support after CBS canceled the scheduled reruns, with several dozens of "Pee-weeites" picketing in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. The general public also appeared to sympathize with Reubens –
6072-420: Is involved in the project?" The whole thing got leaked and we had just started. We didn't have a script yet or anything, so the script took a year and – I don't really know the answer. I think two years of it was like premature information out there, and then the last two years it's just been very, very slow to get the right people involved, and we now have such an amazing company involved, and that's
6210-419: Is still under attack, and it has gotten worse. - RuPaul After Stonewall, " clone culture " became dominant and effeminacy is now marginalised. One indicator of this is a definite preference shown in personal ads for masculine-behaving men. The avoidance of effeminacy by men, including gay ones, has been linked to possible impedance of personal and public health. Regarding HIV/AIDS , masculine behaviour
6348-543: The Orange County Register , Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter . To promote his Broadway show, Pee-wee Herman guest starred on the November 1, 2010, edition of WWE Raw at the Nassau Coliseum . During the program, he participated in backstage antics and had an in-ring confrontation with The Miz and Alex Riley . Pee-wee won a Slammy Award for Guest Star Shining Moment of
6486-572: The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis , Caroline's in New York City and, in 1984, in front of a full Carnegie Hall . The success of The Pee-wee Herman Show prompted Warner Bros. to hire Reubens to write a script for a full-length Pee-wee Herman film. Reubens's original idea was to do a remake of Pollyanna , which Reubens claimed was his favorite film. Halfway through writing the script, Reubens noticed everyone at Warner Bros. had
6624-558: The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and Caroline's in New York City. In 1984, Pee-wee Herman sold out New York City's Carnegie Hall . Reubens said his appearances on David Letterman's show made Pee-wee a star. While on the Warner Bros. lot, Reubens noticed that most of the people rode around on bicycles and asked when he would get his. Warner Bros. presented him with a refurbished 1940s Schwinn ; Reubens then abandoned
6762-630: The Hollywood Walk of Fame and starred in Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special . The program included various celebrity guests, including Oprah Winfrey , Cher , Whoopi Goldberg , Grace Jones , Little Richard and Joan Rivers among others. In July 1991, while visiting relatives, Reubens was arrested in Sarasota, Florida , for masturbating publicly in an adult theater . Detectives would periodically visit pornographic theaters and observe
6900-640: The Israeli Air Force during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . 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 1958), who is a dog trainer , and Abby (born 1953), 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
7038-561: The Netflix original film Pee-wee's Big Holiday , reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman, in 2016. 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 2000s, during which TV Guide dubbed it among the top ten cult classic television programs. Reubens died in July 2023 from cancer. Reubens
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#17327977327837176-508: The Pop Culture award. Paul Reubens Paul Reubens ( / ˈ r uː b ən z / ; né Rubenfeld ; August 27, 1952 – July 30, 2023) was an American actor and comedian, widely known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman . Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe the Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. Reubens developed his Pee-wee character at
7314-472: The Stonewall riots , inconsistent gender role performance had been noticed among gay men : "They have a different face for different occasions. In conversations with each other, they often undergo a subtle change. I have seen men who appeared to be normal suddenly smile roguishly, soften their voices, and simper as they greeted homosexual friends [...] Many times I saw these changes occur after I had gained
7452-446: The factitive prefix ex- (from ex 'out') and femina 'woman'; it means 'made feminine, emasculated, weakened'. Other vernacular words for effeminacy include: pansy , nelly , pretty boy , nancy boy , girly boy , molly , sissy , pussy , tomgirl , femboy , roseboy , baby , and girl (when applied to a boy or, especially, adult man). The word effete similarly implies effeminacy or over-refinement, but comes from
7590-488: The leather subculture , and/or wore clothes that were commonly associated with working-class individuals, such as sailor uniforms . There is a definite prejudice towards men who use femininity as part of their palette; their emotional palette, their physical palette. Is that changing? It's changing in ways that don't advance the cause of femininity. I'm not talking frilly-laced pink things or Hello Kitty stuff. I'm talking about goddess energy, intuition and feelings. That
7728-518: The 1970s, Reubens joined the Los Angeles –based improvisational comedy team the Groundlings and remained a member for six years, working with Bob McClurg, John Paragon , Susan Barnes and Phil Hartman . Hartman and Reubens became close friends, often writing and working on material together. Reubens wrote sketches, developed his improvisational skills and, with Hartman, he developed the Pee-wee Herman character. In 1977, The Groundlings staged
7866-461: The 2006 television film Re-Animated , the animated cartoon series Chowder , Tom Goes to the Mayor , and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! . In 2008, Reubens was slated to appear as homeopathic antidepressant salesman Alfredo Aldarisio in the third episode of Pushing Daisies , but the role was recast with Raúl Esparza . Reubens instead appeared in the role of Oscar Vibenius in
8004-536: The 2007 film Reno 911!: Miami . In 2006, he appeared in the second music video of the Raconteurs ' song " Steady, As She Goes ". The video has the band engaging in a comical soapbox car race, with Reubens playing the bad guy who sabotages the race. In 2007, Reubens attended his own tribute at the SF Sketchfest , where he talked about his career with Ben Fong-Torres . He also signed with NBC to make
8142-584: The 29th at the Music Box Theatre in Hollywood. Due to high demand, the show moved to Club Nokia at LA Live and was scheduled to run between January 12 and February 7, 2010. To promote the show, Reubens once again gave interviews in character, appearing as a guest on The Jay Leno Show , The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (as well as O'Brien's subsequent Legally Prohibited Tour ), and Jimmy Kimmel Live! , among others. A Twitter account,
8280-801: The Apostate , in his Against the Galileans , wrote: ''Why are the Egyptians more intelligent and more given to crafts, and the Syrians unwarlike and effeminate, but at the same time intelligent, hot-tempered, vain and quick to learn?'' In his Commentaries on the Gallic Wars , Julius Caesar wrote that the Belgians were the bravest of all Gauls because "merchants least frequently resort to them, and import those things which tend to effeminate
8418-438: The Groundlings. After a failed audition for Saturday Night Live , Reubens debuted a stage show starring Pee-wee, The Pee-wee Herman Show , in 1981. 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 (1985), directed by Tim Burton , which
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#17327977327838556-455: The Latin term effetus meaning 'having given birth; exhausted', from ex- and fetus 'offspring'. The term tomgirl , meaning a girlish boy, comes from an inversion of tomboy , meaning a boyish girl. The term girly boy comes from a gender-inversion of girly girl . Greek historian Plutarch recounts that Periander, the tyrant of Ambracia , asked his "boy", "Aren't you pregnant yet?" in
8694-485: The Pee-wee Herman character for the first time since 1992. On August 5, 2007, at a showing of Pee-wee's Big Adventure in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery , Reubens made an appearance on stage before the show, bringing with him almost the entire cast of the film to uproarious applause and a standing ovation. E. G. Daily (Dotty), Judd Omen (Mickey), Diane Salinger (Simone), Daryl Keith Roach (Chuck,
8832-457: The Pee-wee Herman script he had been writing, which was to have been a retelling of Pollyanna . He began writing about Herman's love for his bike and his efforts to locate it once it was stolen. Hartman, Reubens and Michael Varhol co-wrote the script for Pee-wee's Big Adventure , basing the story loosely on Vittorio De Sica 's The Bicycle Thief . The film was directed by Tim Burton , his feature film debut, and scored by Danny Elfman . It
8970-450: The TV newsmagazine A Current Affair received "tens of thousands" of responses to a Pee-wee telephone survey, with callers supporting Reubens with a 9-to-1 majority. He remained in a state of shock for weeks and was haunted by the arrest for several years, refusing to give interviews or appear on talk shows. At the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards , Reubens made his first public appearance after
9108-442: The TV series, except for Globey whose voice is still done by George McGrath. In July 1991, Reubens was arrested in Sarasota, Florida , for indecent exposure while watching a film at a porno theater . During an unexpected police inspection, a detective detained Reubens, along with three others, as he was preparing to leave. When detectives examined his driver's license, Reubens told them "I'm Pee-wee Herman" and offered to perform
9246-630: The United States, boys are often homosocial , and gender role performance determines social rank. While gay boys receive the same enculturation , they are less compliant. Martin Levine summarizes: "Harry (1982, 51–52), for example, found that 42 percent of his gay respondents were ' sissies ' during childhood. Only 11 percent of his heterosexual samples were gender-role nonconformists. Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith (1981, 188) reported that half of their male homosexual subjects practised gender-inappropriate behaviour in childhood. Among their heterosexual men,
9384-498: The Year on December 13, 2010, for his appearance. Pee-wee Herman returned to WWE at WrestleMania XXVII in a segment with The Rock and Gene Okerlund in which he admitted to being John Cena 's number one fan. After Reubens started giving interviews again after his 1991 arrest, he talked about the two scripts he had written for future Pee-wee Herman films. Reubens once called his first script The Pee-wee Herman Story , describing it as
9522-418: The adult innuendo for the appeal of children. This paved the way for Pee-wee's Playhouse , an Emmy Award -winning children's series that ran on CBS from 1986 to 1991. Another film, Big Top Pee-wee , was released in 1988. Because of negative media attention following a scandal in 1991, Reubens decided to shelve his alter ego during the 1990s, but gradually resurrected it during the following decade. It
9660-406: The aforementioned film and occasionally threw childish tantrums on Pee-wee's Playhouse . Reubens said that he feels Pee-wee "resets" after each adventure, his experiences only changing him slightly, and compared him to Dorothy Gale at the end of The Wizard of Oz . Paul Reubens auditioned for Saturday Night Live for the 1980–81 season but was not accepted into the cast. Instead, he started
9798-702: The animated series Tron: Uprising as Pavel. In 2014, Reubens appeared in TV on the Radio 's music video for " Happy Idiot ". In February 2015, Netflix acquired the rights to produce a new Pee-wee film entitled Pee-wee's Big Holiday with Reubens and Judd Apatow producing the film, John Lee directing, and Reubens and Paul Rust writing the screenplay. The film released on March 18, 2016, on Netflix to positive reception. Reubens went on to reprise his role as pilot droid Rex in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge ,
9936-413: The arrest. Taking the stage in costume as Pee-wee, he asked the audience, "Heard any good jokes lately?" and received a standing ovation. Reubens responded with, "Ha, that's so funny I forgot to laugh!" Pee-wee appeared once more in 1992, when he participated in a Grand Ole Opry tribute to Minnie Pearl . Reubens then avoided interviews and, according to a 1991 Rolling Stone article, had become weary of
10074-409: The audience, arresting those engaged in what these detectives considered indecent exposure. Three other men were also arrested that night on similar charges. Reubens' infamous mug shot , which did not depict the clean-cut look Reubens had shown for the last decade, shocked the public, and many thought that the show had been canceled due to the arrest. In reality, the show had been canceled in 1990 due to
10212-477: The bike shop owner), and Mark Holton (Francis) were all present. On January 15, 2011, Reubens appeared on Saturday Night Live as Pee-wee in an extended and well-received segment depicting Andy Samberg and Pee-wee getting drunk, taking a ride on a mechanical bull, doing the tequila dance and ambushing Anderson Cooper in an alley way with a chair. On February 1, 2012, Reubens appeared as Pee-wee on Bravo's Top Chef: Texas and served as guest judge. Part of
10350-612: The block Monday to Thursday at 11 p.m. ET starting on that date. Later on in August 2006, Adult Swim started airing Pee-wee's Playhouse at 12 a.m. ET. In October 2006, Reubens made a public appearance, dressed as Pee-wee at Chiller Theatre Expo, an East Coast fan convention, with Pee-wee's Playhouse co-star, Lynne Marie Stewart . There he signed pictures and other memorabilia, and posed for photographs with fans. At Spike TV 's 2007 Guys' Choice Awards in June, Reubens appeared on TV as
10488-658: The box office, earning only $ 15 million. Reubens attended the 1988 Academy Awards with Big Top Pee-wee co-star Valeria Golino , which stirred rumors that the two were dating. The following year Reubens exchanged vows with Doris Duke 's adopted daughter, Chandi Heffner, at a mock wedding over which Imelda Marcos presided, in Shangri-La , Doris Duke's mansion in Honolulu , Hawaii . Pee-wee's Playhouse aired from September 13, 1986, until November 10, 1990. Reubens had originally agreed to do two more seasons after
10626-467: The broken walk, the female attire," as "signs of one who is soft [mollis] and not a real man." For Roman men masculinity also meant self-control, even in the face of painful emotions, illnesses, or death. Cicero says, "There exist certain precepts, even laws, that prohibit a man from being effeminate in pain," and Seneca adds, "If I must suffer illness, it will be my wish to do nothing out of control, nothing effeminately." Emperor/philosopher Julian
10764-417: The character and wanted to explore new territory. During the filming of Mystery Men , Reubens appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1999 in one of his first out-of-character interviews. It was also on that interview that Reubens first announced plans to start writing a new Pee-wee movie. In a 2004 interview with Entertainment Weekly , Reubens also mentioned his hope that Hollywood has not seen
10902-480: The company of women, certain trades, and too much fondness with women were all deemed effeminate traits in Roman society. Taking an inappropriate sexual position, passive or " bottom ", in same-gender sex was considered effeminate and unnatural. Touching the head with a finger and wearing a goatee were also considered effeminate. Roman consul Scipio Aemilianus questioned one of his opponents, P. Sulpicius Galus: "For
11040-479: The contestants' challenge was to ride a bike, similar to Pee-wee's, while gathering ingredients through San Antonio to prepare and serve a special lunch for Pee-wee at the Alamo . The use of The Alamo is a reference to Pee-wee's film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure , where his stolen bike is allegedly hidden. While taping the Top Chef episode on the Alamo complex, author and Alamo spokesman Tony J. Caridi led Reubens on
11178-545: The end credits of the film billed him as "Hamburger Dude". Reubens's act had mainly positive reactions and quickly acquired a group of fans, despite being described as "bizarre", and Reubens being described as "the weirdest comedian around". Pee-wee was both "corny" and "hip", "retrograde" and "avant-garde". When Pee-wee's fame started growing, Reubens started to move away from the spotlight, keeping his name under wraps and making all his public appearance and interviews in character while billing Pee-wee as playing himself; Reubens
11316-521: The entertainment industry. The arrest postponed Reubens's involvement in major projects until 1999, when he appeared in several big-budget projects including Mystery Men (1999) and Blow (2001). Reubens subsequently started giving interviews as himself rather than as Pee-wee. Reubens acted in numerous shows such as Murphy Brown , 30 Rock , Portlandia , and The Blacklist . He revived The Pee-wee Herman Show , which he performed in Los Angeles and on Broadway, in 2010. He co-wrote and starred in
11454-463: The film Back to the Beach and TV show Sesame Street , the latter of which made a cameo in Playhouse . Right after the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure , Reubens began working with Paramount Pictures on a sequel entitled Big Top Pee-wee . Reubens and George McGrath's script was directed by Grease director Randal Kleiser . The film was not as successful as its predecessor, receiving mild reviews and doing just over one third as well in
11592-418: The film has many " Valley of the Dolls moments". Reubens thought this script would be the first one to start production, but in 2006 Reubens announced he was to start filming his second script in 2007. The second film, a family-friendly adventure, is called Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie by Reubens, and follows Pee-wee and his Playhouse friends on a road-trip adventure, meaning that they would leave
11730-432: The film took so long to be made, saying: "I think part of what happened with this project is it got leaked probably a year and a half or two years before we really wanted anyone to know about it. I was doing a Q&A somewhere, and I said I was writing a movie with a guy named Paul Rust, and the next day a journalist called my manager and said, "Paul Rust is someone very associated with Judd Apatow, can you confirm Judd Apatow
11868-422: The film. Principal photography began on March 16, 2015. On April 8, 2015, Joe Manganiello joined the cast. On April 19, 2015, Jessica Pohly was cast in the film. The film released on March 18, 2016 on Netflix to positive reception. The film was the last time Reubens portrayed the character before his death in 2023. The Pee-wee Herman character has received various honors, particularly during his peak fame in
12006-462: The first 13 episodes before their characters were dropped or recast). The show starred Pee-wee living in his wild and wacky Playhouse, full of talking chairs, animals, robots and other puppet and human characters. The show became a hit, and during its time on the air, Pee-wee's Playhouse garnered 15 Emmy Awards . Pee-wee also became the first guest on The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers on its October 9, 1986, premiere. The following year, he made
12144-513: The first being on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that year. He also starred in Dwight Yoakam 's Western South of Heaven, West of Hell , portraying a rapist and killer. In 2001, Reubens had his first extended television role since Playhouse , as the host of the short-lived ABC game show You Don't Know Jack , based on the video game series of the same name . It was cancelled after six episodes due to low ratings. Reubens played
12282-546: The following year , was credited for writing the "Pee-wee Herman Thanksgiving Special" sketch and appeared as a pilgrim in it. The following year, Pee-wee (along with Hartman) found a home on the small screen with the Saturday morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse on the American CBS network for the next five years ( Shirley Stoler , Johann Carlo , Gilbert Lewis and Roland Rodriguez appeared only for
12420-417: The house for the first time and go out into "Puppetland". All of the original characters of the show, live-action and puppets are included in Reubens's script. The story happens in a fantasy land that would be reminiscent of H.R. Pufnstuf and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . In January 2009, Reubens told Gary Panter that the rejected first script of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (which they co-wrote) could have
12558-536: The job. He also told the San Francisco Chronicle he believed that "the fix was in" because Gottfried was friends with one of the producers. Reubens was so angry and bitter that he decided he would borrow money and start his own show in Los Angeles using the character he had been developing during the previous few years, " Pee-wee Herman ". With the help of other Groundlings like John Paragon, Phil Hartman, and Lynne Marie Stewart , Pee-wee acquired
12696-416: The jurors to handle, I think they'd be quite unable to say, if they hadn't been told in advance, whether they had hold of a man's clothing or a woman's." In ancient Koine Greek, the word for effeminate is κίναιδος kinaidos ( cinaedus in its Latinized form), or μαλακός malakoi : a man "whose most salient feature was a supposedly 'feminine' love of being sexually penetrated by other men": A cinaedus
12834-429: The kind of man who adorns himself daily in front of a mirror, wearing perfume; whose eyebrows are shaved off; who walks around with plucked beard and thighs; who when he was a young man reclined at banquets next to his lover, wearing a long-sleeved tunic; who is fond of men as he is of wine: can anyone doubt that he has done what cinaedi are in the habit of doing?" Roman orator Quintilian described, "The plucked body,
12972-488: The last of Pee-wee. Reubens later stated a strong possibility of a Pee-wee's Playhouse movie on an NPR interview with Terry Gross on November 29, 2004. A third Pee-wee movie was also suggested. During this time, Reubens stated both were actively being worked on. In 1998, Fox Family aired reruns of Pee-wee's Playhouse . On July 10, 2006, Cartoon Network began airing Pee-wee's Playhouse during its Adult Swim lineup. The show's 45 original episodes were planned to air on
13110-418: The late 1980s. During the original run of Pee-wee's Playhouse , the series garnered 22 Emmy Awards nominations. As pictured, in 1985 he received Harvard Lampoon 's Elmer Award for lifetime achievement in comedy. In 1988, Pee-wee Herman was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ; under the category of motion pictures, it can be found at 6562 Hollywood Blvd. At the 2012 TV Land Awards , he won
13248-432: The lines of The Polar Express , which uses performance capture technology, incorporating the movements of live actors into animated characters. Reubens approached Pee-wee's Big Adventure director Tim Burton with one of the scripts and talked to Johnny Depp about the possibility of having him portray Pee-wee, but they both declined. In June 2010, it was announced that Paul Reubens was working with Judd Apatow on
13386-461: The long-gestating project, saying the film has funding, a finished script, and a director lined up. Reubens was said to be developing a new TV show, which he commented would potentially be an update on the popular Pee-wee's Playhouse . He added that a more detailed announcement was "imminent". Reubens said, "Short of something unforeseen like the studio going out of business, I think it's very likely both these projects will happen next year." In 2014, it
13524-446: The look were short black hair, pale skin with red rouge and red lipstick. The inspiration for the name came from a Pee-wee brand miniature harmonica and the surname of an energetic boy Reubens knew from his youth. Reubens thought the name Pee-wee Herman was a name that sounded too real to be made up, and like a real name a parent would give a child that they didn't really care about. Sometime in 1979, Reubens debuted his character on
13662-492: The luckiest boy in the world." David Letterman once said of the character, "What makes me laugh ... is that it has the external structure of a bratty little precocious kid, but you know it's being controlled by the incubus – the manifestation of evil itself." While the character is typically cheerful and flamboyant, Pee-wee has indeed displayed an aggressive side, including his vicious pool battle with Francis in Pee-wee's Big Adventure . He also played vengeful tricks in
13800-446: The masculinity of every man, or it may represent the disfiguring peculiarity of a small class of deviant individuals." The term effeminiphobia (sometimes effemiphobic , as used by Randy P. Conner) was coined by Will Fellows to describe strong anti-effeminacy. Michael Bailey coined the similar term femiphobia to describe the ambivalence gay men and culture have about effeminate behaviour in 1995. Gay author Tim Bergling popularized
13938-508: The mind". Emperor Marcus Aurelius evidently considered effeminacy an undesirable trait, but it is unclear what or who was being referred to. The Chinese term for 'girlie men' is niang pao . In September 2021, the Associated Press reported that the mainland Chinese government has banned effeminate men from appearing in television commercials. The Chinese government instructed broadcasters to stop showing "sissy men". In
14076-418: The new year. I wish I could tell you about it right now, because…I mean, it's amazing. It's going to be amazing. It think it first got leaked four years ago or so that the movie was going to be made, and ever since then it's just been stalling and stalling. So I'm really ready for this to happen. But I'm not kidding: It's very imminent." In a November 2014, interview with The A.V. Club , Reubens explained why
14214-459: The original cast members, including Lynne Stewart as Miss Yvonne, John Moody as Mailman Mike and John Paragon as Jambi the Genie. Reubens cited his desire to make a film version of Pee-wee's Playhouse and expressed a desire to "introduce Pee-wee to the new generation that didn't know about it". Pee-wee's 2010 stage show received positive reviews from various Los Angeles–based publications, including
14352-599: The past. In 1986, Reubens (billed as Paul Mall) was the voice of the ship's computer in Flight of the Navigator . In 1987, Reubens provided the voice for the pilot droid RX-24 a.k.a. Captain "Rex" in Star Tours , a Star Wars -themed motion simulator attraction at Disneyland and Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World , and Disneyland Paris . He also reprised the role of Pee-wee Herman in cameo appearances in
14490-638: The presence of other people, causing the boy to kill him in revenge for being treated as if effeminate or a woman ( Amatorius 768F). When Aeschines was accused of treason by Athenians Timarchus and Demosthenes in 346 BC, he brought a counter suit claiming Timarchus had prostituted himself to (or been "kept" by) other men ( Against Timarchus ). He also attributed Demosthenes ' nickname Batalos ("arse") to his "unmanliness and kinaidiā " and frequently commented on his "unmanly and womanish temper", even criticising his clothing: "If anyone took those dainty little coats and soft shirts off you... and took them round for
14628-425: The puppets' looks could be an option, but it all depended on the budget the films would have. Reubens once mentioned the possibility of doing one of the two as an animated film along the lines of The Polar Express (2004), which uses performance capture technology, incorporating the movements of live actors into animated characters. Reubens approached Pee-wee's Big Adventure director Tim Burton with one of
14766-434: The rate of noncompliance was 25 percent. Saghir and Robins (1973, 18) found that one-third of their gay man respondents conformed to gender role dictates. Only 3 percent of their heterosexual men deviated from the norm." Thus effeminate boys, or sissies, are physically and verbally harassed (Saghir and Robins, 1973, 17–18; Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith 1981, 74–84), causing them to feel worthless and "de-feminise". Before
14904-618: The rating of the movie being "probably PG-13 or even R" but in a 2007 MTV interview stated that this was not the case. He called it a " Valley of the Dolls Pee-wee" because "it has things certainly inspired by, if not outright lifted from, that movie". Reubens described the film's plot to MTV: It's basically the story of Pee-wee Herman becoming famous as a singer. He has a hit single and gets brought out to Hollywood to make musical movies, kind of like they did with Elvis . It all kind of goes downhill from there for Pee-wee. He turns into
15042-741: The real stage. Originally, Reubens imbued Pee-wee with sexuality that was later toned down as the character made the transition from raucous night club to children's television (though innuendo was still apparent, particularly between the Cowboy Curtis and Miss Yvonne characters). The stage show was popularized by HBO when The Pee-wee Herman Show aired in 1981. The show featured the writing and acting of Groundlings alumni Phil Hartman and John Paragon , who would both reprise their characters on Pee-wee's Playhouse . The Pee-wee Herman Show played for five sellout months at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, whereupon HBO filmed it and aired it as
15180-406: The really big announcement that hasn't been made yet." On December 22, 2014, it was announced that the film would premiere exclusively on Netflix . On February 24, 2015, Netflix announced the film would be titled Pee-wee's Big Holiday with Apatow and Reubens producing the film, John Lee directing, and Reubens and Paul Rust writing the screenplay. On March 11, 2015, Tara Buck joined the cast of
15318-468: The red tie is less clear, as Reubens claimed that "someone" handed him the "little kid bow tie" before a performance. Reubens auditioned for the Saturday Night Live 1980–1981 season on the same day as comedian Gilbert Gottfried . Reubens told Entertainment Weekly hiring both was not an option because they were "the same type of performer", and he knew immediately Gottfried would get
15456-456: The relationship was never consummated. During the mid-1990s, Reubens played a recurring role on the TV series Murphy Brown . The role earned him positive reviews and his only non-Pee-wee Emmy nomination, for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series . He appeared six times on the show between 1995 and 1997. Afterward, Reubens began working on an NBC pilot entitled Meet the Muckles ,
15594-408: The return of The Pee-wee Herman Show was announced. Reubens said he felt Pee-wee calling, "I just got up one day and felt like I'm gonna come back, that was it." The show is also a way to "introduce Pee-wee to the new generation that didn't know about it", preparing the way for Reubens's main project, the Playhouse film. Before this comeback, Reubens's present age and shape had been pointed out as
15732-517: The same price as a prime-time sitcom , and no creative interference from CBS; although CBS did request a few minor changes throughout the years. After casting actors like Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson , production began in New York City. The opening credits of the show were sung by Cyndi Lauper (under the pseudonym Ellen Shaw). Playhouse was designed as an educational yet entertaining and artistic show for children and, despite being greatly influenced by 1950s shows Reubens watched as
15870-441: The scripts and talked to Johnny Depp about the possibility of having him portray Pee-wee, but Burton was too busy, and Depp said he would have to think about it. In January 2010, Reubens reprised his role as Pee-wee and reused the set of Pee-wee's Playhouse (albeit slightly modified) for a short sketch on Funny or Die . In the sketch, Pee-wee comes home and shows off a brand-new iPad given to him by Steve Jobs . This leads to
16008-669: The series' 7th and 9th episodes. Also, during 2008, Reubens did a PSA for Unscrew America, a website that aims to get people to change regular light bulbs for more energy-efficient ones in the form of CFLs and LED . He also appeared in Todd Solondz 's Life During Wartime . From 2009 to 2011, Reubens voiced Bat-Mite in Batman: The Brave and the Bold . In January 2009, Reubens hinted that negotiations were under way for his stage show to come back, and in August
16146-415: The show. Despite being compared to other famous characters, such as Hergé 's Tintin and Collodi 's Pinocchio , Reubens said that there was no specific source for "Pee-wee" other than a collection of ideas. Pee-wee's voice originated in 1970 when Reubens appeared in a production of Life with Father , where he was cast as one of the most obnoxious characters in the play. For this role, Reubens adopted
16284-403: The television show The Dating Game , appearing three times. Throughout his film and television programs, Pee-wee Herman's background has remained relatively ambiguous. During interviews, he has been portrayed as though he is a real life stand-up comedian who expanded his career by playing himself in his films and TV series. This is echoed by the fact that a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
16422-488: The term sissyphobia in Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior , although it was used before. Transgender writer and biologist Julia Serano has coined the similar term effemimania . Feminist sociologist Rhea Ashley Hoskin suggests that these terms can be understood as relating to a larger construct of femmephobia , or "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone who
16560-499: The third, and when CBS asked Reubens about the possibility of a sixth season he declined, wanting to take a sabbatical. Reubens had been suffering from burnout from playing Pee-wee full-time and had been warning that Pee-wee was temporary and that he had other ideas he would like to work on. The parties agreed to end the show after five seasons, which included 45 episodes and a Christmas Special . Playhouse garnered 22 Emmy Awards . After his 1991 arrest (see below), Reubens kept
16698-458: The time Reubens was arrested. He cited an overworked crew and a decline in the show's quality in his decision against making a sixth season. The show's popularity and quantity of episodes had allowed for rerun broadcasts, but CBS canceled the reruns on July 29, 1991. Reubens dated actress Debi Mazar in 1993 after he started attending film premieres with her. Reubens credited Mazar with ending his depression from his arrest. According to Mazar,
16836-479: The time of release in 1985, the film received mixed reviews, but Pee-wee's Big Adventure developed into a cult film . After seeing the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure , the CBS network approached Reubens with an ill-received cartoon series proposal. In 1986, CBS agreed to sign Reubens to act, produce, and direct his live-action children's program, Pee-wee's Playhouse , with a budget of $ 325,000 per episode,
16974-433: The two scripts he had written for future Pee-wee Herman films. Reubens once called his first script The Pee-wee Herman Story , describing it as a black comedy . He also referred to the script as "dark Pee-wee" or "adult Pee-wee", with the plot involving Pee-wee becoming famous as a singer after making a hit single and moving to Hollywood , where "he does everything wrong and becomes a big jerk". Reubens further explained
17112-989: Was Reubens's third arrest in the county. In 1971, Reubens had been arrested in the same county for loitering and prowling near an adult theater, though charges had been dropped. His second arrest occurred in 1983 when Reubens was placed on two years of probation for possession of marijuana, although adjudication was withheld. Effeminacy Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men , particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity . These traits include roles , stereotypes , behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated with girls and women . Throughout Western civilization , men considered effeminate have faced prejudice and discrimination . Gay men are often stereotyped as being effeminate, and vice versa. However, femininity, masculinity, and other forms of gender expression are independent of sexual orientation . Effeminate comes from Latin effeminātus , from
17250-592: Was a Girl Scout, his mother's name is Honny Herman, and his father's name is Herman Herman. He went on to say that everyone in his family has a first name that begins with an "H" except for him. This was again stated during a 1988 special which elaborated that Pee-wee was raised in Florida. Pee-wee is commonly portrayed as an impatient and fun-loving child with dainty, effeminate mannerisms and quirky facial expressions. His age has never been explicitly stated; although, he once proclaimed on The Pee-wee Herman Show , "I'm
17388-505: Was a financial and critical success. Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), was less successful. Between 1986 and 1990, Reubens starred as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse . Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida , in 1991. The arrest set off a chain reaction of national media attention, though he received support from people in
17526-477: Was announced that the film would be on Netflix . Paul Reubens confirmed in a January 2009 interview with Swindle magazine that there are indeed negotiations under way for the Pee-wee Herman stage show to return. In late 2009, Reubens began promoting his new live stage show. He appeared in character as Pee-wee on late night programs including Jimmy Kimmel Live! , The Jay Leno Show , and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien . Pee-wee would also return for
17664-483: Was at that time that Reubens addressed plans to write a new Pee-wee film, Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie. In June 2007, Reubens appeared as Pee-wee Herman at the Spike TV 's Guys' Choice Awards for the first time on television since 1992. After a lengthy hiatus, a third film, Pee-wee's Big Holiday , was released by Netflix in 2016 and was the last time Reubens portrayed the character before his death in 2023. In
17802-402: Was awarded to Pee-wee Herman rather than Paul Reubens. In both Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Pee-wee's Playhouse , the character surrounds himself with strange inventions and decorations and has no visible means of support, whereas Big Top Pee-wee depicts him as a farmer/inventor. During a July 1983 segment on Late Night with David Letterman , Pee-wee said he has a sister named Hermione who
17940-537: Was born Paul Rubenfeld in Peekskill, New York , on August 27, 1952, and grew up in a Jewish family in Sarasota, Florida , where his parents, Judy (née Rosen) and Milton Rubenfeld , owned a lamp store. His mother was a teacher. His father was an automobile salesperson who had flown for Britain's Royal Air Force and for the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, and later became one of the founding pilots of
18078-416: Was expected to start in early 2007. According to Reubens, the story will focus on the characters from the television show finally leaving the playhouse and venturing off into Puppetland and beyond (the playhouse characters had rarely left their home in the TV series). The characters from the playhouse will be on an epic adventure to look for a missing character from the playhouse. Reubens stated this will be
18216-509: Was named president of the National Thespian Society. 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. After high school graduation, he attended Plymouth State University for one semester, before attending Boston University , after which he began auditioning for acting schools. He
18354-417: Was recommended for the role by Dirt star and close friend Courteney Cox . Cox's husband, David Arquette , then cast Reubens for his directorial debut, the 2007 film The Tripper . In June 2007, Reubens appeared as Pee-wee Herman at the Spike TV 's Guys Choice Awards for the first time since 1992. Reubens also had small parts dubbing or making cameos in a series of Cartoon Network projects such as
18492-400: Was released on August 9, 1985, and, while receiving mixed reviews, performed well at the box office and became a cult film . Reubens was the originator of the "Pee-wee dance" in the movie, and he had performed it publicly many times prior to making the film. Pee-wee hosted the 198th episode of Saturday Night Live on November 23, 1985. Phil Hartman , who would become an SNL cast member
18630-443: Was stereotyped as being unconcerned about safe sex practices while engaging in promiscuous sexual behaviour. Early reports from New York City indicated that more women had themselves tested for HIV/AIDS than men. David Halperin compares "universalising" and "minoritising" notions of gender deviance: "'Softness' either may represent the specter of potential gender failure that haunts all normative masculinity, an ever-present threat to
18768-438: Was to start filming his second script in 2007. The second film, a family friendly adventure, is called Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie by Reubens, and follows Pee-wee and his Playhouse friends on a road-trip adventure, meaning that they would leave the house for the first time and go out into "Puppetland". All of the original characters of the show, live-action and puppets, are included in Reubens' script. The story happens in
18906-444: Was trying to "get the public to think that that was a real person". Later on he would even prefer his parents be known only as Honey Herman and Herman Herman. In the early and mid-1980s, Reubens made several guest appearances on Late Night with David Letterman as Pee-wee Herman which gave Pee-wee an even bigger following. During the mid-1980s, Reubens traveled the United States with a whole new The Pee-wee Herman Show , playing at
19044-626: Was turned down by several schools, including the Juilliard School and twice by Carnegie Mellon University , before being accepted to the California Institute of the Arts . Reubens moved to California, where he worked in restaurant kitchens and as a Fuller Brush salesman. In the 1970s, Reubens began performing at local comedy clubs and, starting in 1977, made 14 guest appearances on The Gong Show , four of which as part of
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