Paul Reubens, the actor known for playing the beloved fictional character Pee-wee Herman, died on Sunday night at 70.
He had, he revealed posthumously, been privately battling cancer for several years. A statement was posted to his Instagram on Monday morning to break the sad news.
It included a quote from the performer, which read: So heartbreaking! Related: Lady GaGa Mourns ‘True Friend’ Tony Bennett His estate added more details in the caption, mourning: The comedian has asked that “expressions of sympathy be made in honor of his late parents” via donations to Stand Up to Cancer or other organizations working to support those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Reubens developed his Pee-wee character as a stage show parodying children’s shows in the early ’80s. The runaway hit led to an HBO special, then of course the hit movie Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which was in turn followed by an actual children’s show, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which ran for five years and won an impressive 15 Emmy Awards.
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