How did Paul Reubens die? Cause of death explored as Pee Wee Herman star passes away at 70

According to Variety, Paul Reubens, the revered comedian and actor, died at 70 on Sunday night, July 30, 2023. The news was shared online by the official account of Pee-wee Herman on Facebook.

Reubens was well known for his portrayal of Pee-wee Herman - a role he played in television, cinema, and on stage. As such, his work was recognized and loved by children and adults alike. The news of his demise was posted on his social media accounts, saddening millions of fans of the beloved character and actor. As for how he passed away, the Matilda actor's cause of death was unidentified cancer.

Paul Reubens did not have a partner or children at the time of his death. He is survived by his siblings Abby Rubenfeld and Luke Rubenfeld.

---

Paul Reubens left a message for his fans prior to his death

On July 31, 2023, Paul Reubens' team posted the news of his death on his official social media accounts, confirming its authenticity. The caption read:

"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."

The message continued by commending how the actor had cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. They added:

"A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit."

Paul Reubens predicted the news of his death from cancer coming out, so he decided to send a message to his fans beforehand. He said:

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. 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."

All that he showed his fans was talent indeed a work of art. Paul Reubens initially started his career as a member of the Los Angeles live comedy troupe The Groundlings. He worked as an improv actor and comedian in the 1970s.

---

Paul Reubens' acting career as Pee-wee Herman

In 1980, Reubens introduced Pee-wee Herman, a character he developed himself for years, to the world. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor launched a stage production called The Pee-wee Herman Show, which was a huge success and ran for five months completely sold out. Moreover, the show helped Reubens bag an HBO special.

Paul Reubens later teamed up with American filmmaker Tim Burton in 1985 to make the Pee-wee’s Big Adventure movie. The film got critical acclaim and was a huge commercial success that helped Paul gain mainstream media fame.

From 1986 to 1990, Reubens played Pee-wee Herman in a CBS show called Pee-wee's Playhouse. The success of the television show was established as it went on to win 15 Emmys in the entirety of its run.

As per Gizmodo, Pee-wee as a character was this popular because of his unique mesh of weirdness and sensitivity. It was both creepy and lovable. Besides, Reubens was known to perform at his interviews and appearances on other shows, always completely in character.

His journey wasn't always all smiles and yellow outfits as in 1991, Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure at a p*rn house/adult movie theatre in Sarasota, Florida. Following the arrest, Paul took a step back from the beloved childhood character for over two decades and leaned more towards playing other roles and writing.

---

Other roles played by Paul Reubens

The comical actor also portrayed many serious roles such as Derek Foreal in the drama Blow and other projects like Mystery Men and Batman Returns.

Paul finally returned as the beloved Pee-wee Herman character in Netflix's Pee-wee's Big Holiday, which would come to be his final role before his death.