“Pee-wee Herman” actor, Paul Reubens, is being remembered by Hollywood after he lost his private battle with cancer on Sunday night.
Paul Feig, Cher and more took to social media on Monday to remember Reubens’ life.
“Goodbye Paul Goodnight sweet prince May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,” Cher wrote in a since-deleted tweet, citing “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare.
“Pee-wee Herman” star Paul Reubens was remembered by Hollywood on Monday. (John Kisch Archive)
‘PEE-WEE HERMAN’ ACTOR PAUL REUBENS DEAD AT 70
Actress Sandra Bernhard — who appeared alongside Reubens in a 1990 episode of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” — posted a video with the late comedian on Instagram.
“The brilliant subversive children’s show created by @peeweeherman broke all the rules he called me a couple of years ago & it surprised me we spoke for quite awhile,” Bernard began. “There was a lot on his plate back in the day, all that success, high expectations, tremendous fame, I think it does a number on a person. It’s hard to distill, & it all goes by so very fast.”
Filmmaker Paul Feig called the news of Reubens’ death “devastating.”
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“Truly heartbreaking. Paul was such a comedy genius. From his Letterman appearances to his TV shows and movies, he was so original and hilarious,” Feig wrote on Instagram. “And such a sweet man too. This is a huge loss for comedy. Thanks for all the laughs, Paul.”
Actress Jennifer Tilly shared a throwback picture with Reubens to Twitter on Monday, writing, “Rip Paul Reubens. You always made me laugh.”
Paul Reubens died after a private battle with cancer. (Frederick M. Brown)
“Orange is the New Black” actress Natasha Lyonne tweeted several images of Reubens.
“Love you so much, Paul. One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is,” she wrote, adding red heart and broken heart emojis.
Mark Hamill honored Reubens on Twitter with one of the late comedian’s own quotes.
“‘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.’- Paul Reubens,” Hamill’s tweet began. “We loved you right back, Paul… & can’t thank you enough for the lifetime of laughter!”
Reubens’ longtime rep confirmed his death with Fox News Digital in a statement on Monday.
“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,” his rep said.
“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,” she added.
Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman rides a bike in the 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
In a personal statement he wrote before his passing, Reubens addressed his time away from the limelight. It was shared in a social media post that published after the news broke of his death.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” he wrote. “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.”
In a separate statement, Paul requested “sympathy be made in honor of [his] late parents, Judy and Milton Rubenfeld, to Stand Up to Cancer or organizations involved in Dementia and Alzheimer’s care, support and research.”
“Pee Wee Herman” actor, Paul Reubens, passed away on July 30, following a battle with cancer. He was 70. (Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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Reubens created the famous Pee-wee character, with his set premiering in 1981. He later performed at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip.
By 1981, the show had been moved to broadcast on HBO with Reubens amassing an even greater following nationwide. Due to success on the small screen, Warner Bros. was interested in taking Pee-wee to the silver screen, with the movie that was Tim Burton’s directorial debut, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” in 1985.
Paul Reubens rose to fame in the ’80s when he created his act, “Pee-Wee Herman.” (Jason Merritt)
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“Pee-wee’s Playhouse” on CBS began in 1986 and accrued 22 Emmy Awards during its five-year run on television. Reuben was personally nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, and he won two.
Circumstances for Reubens changed in 1991 after he was arrested for masturbating in an adult movie theater. He was severely scrutinized and faced repercussions from the arrest. Reubens ended up pleading no contest to the charges, remaining relatively off the radar during the 1990s.
In 2002, he was arrested on charges of possession of pornography. The original charge was for possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct, but it was later reduced to a misdemeanor of obscene material.
In 2010, Reubens began his comeback tour, reintroducing “The Pee-wee Herman Show” to Los Angeles. It later went to Broadway where it saw great success. In the following years, he would go on to make more Pee-wee projects for both television and film.
Fox News Digital’s Caroline Thayer and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
