How ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse’ led to ‘Boyz n the Hood’ — really
nypost.commade headlines this week as the world remembers Paul Reubens of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” fame, who passed away at 70 on Sunday.
But did you know that the show shares DNA with 1991’s “Boyz n the Hood?”That’s a pretty big “but.” Let’s talk about the big but.In the late ’80s, a USC film student named John Singleton was at the bottom of the food chain as a P.A.
and security guard on “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” The set was swarming with on-screen talent like Reubens and Laurence Fishburne — not to mention the roster of guest stars including Natasha Lyonne, Phil Hartman, and even Oprah Winfrey.The 19-year-old Singleton was determined to make a film about growing up in south Los Angeles, and he’d already written the screenplay.
After Singleton’s untimely death in 2019, Fishburne — who played Cowboy Curtis on the show — recalled his pluck.“Every day, John would go up to Paul [Reubens] and ask, ‘Have you read my script yet?'” Fishburne told The Hollywood Reporter. “Paul would say, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.
Read more on nypost.com
