Obituaries

8 Photos Honoring the Life of Pee-wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens

Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens, who grew up in Sarasota, died after a six-year battle with cancer, his publicist said in a statement.

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Paul Reubens, portraying Pee-wee Herman, poses for a portrait while promoting "The Pee-wee Herman Show" live stage play, Monday, December 7, 2009, in Los Angeles.
Paul Reubens, portraying Pee-wee Herman, poses for a portrait while promoting "The Pee-wee Herman Show" live stage play, Monday, December 7, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok, File)

SARASOTA, FL — After privately battling cancer, actor Paul Reubens, whose famous portrayal of the iconic Pee-wee Herman character, has died. Reubens was 70 years old; he grew up in Sarasota.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released with the announcement of 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.”

“Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” ran for five seasons, earned 22 Emmys and attracted not only children but adults to Saturday-morning, forever changing the landscape of television.

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Check out photos below to honor the life of Paul Reubens.

Comedian Pee Wee Herman, whose real name is Paul Reubens, admires his star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, in this July 20, 1988 file photo. (AP Photo/Ira Mark Gostin, File)
In this November 11, 2010 file photo, Paul Reubens, in character as Pee-wee Herman, attends the after-party for the opening night of "The Pee-wee Herman Show" on Broadway in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)
In this October 29, 2010 file photo, Paul Reubens, in character as Pee-wee Herman, poses on stage after a performance of "The Pee-wee Herman Show" on Broadway in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
In this Friday, October 29, 2010 photo, Paul Reubens, in character as Pee-wee Herman, poses on stage after a performance of "The Pee-wee Herman Show" on Broadway in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)
Paul Reubens, in character as Pee-wee Herman, waves to the crowd after receiving the Visionary Award at the 2011 Scream Awards, Saturday, October 15, 2011, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Paul Reubens attends the world premiere of "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" during the South by Southwest Film Festival on Thursday, March 17, 2016, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)
Paul Reubens participates in AOL's BUILD Speaker Series to discuss his new film, "Pee-wee's Big Holiday", at AOL Studios on Friday, March 25, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

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