Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Paul Reubens
How Paul Reubens built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Paul Reubens was an American actor and comedian best known for creating and portraying Pee-wee Herman. This character, with its childlike persona and distinctive appearance, gained immense popularity through stage shows, television programs, and films like "Pee-wee's Big Adventure." Reubens's career experienced both significant success and periods of controversy. Despite challenges, he remained a notable figure in comedy and entertainment, leaving a lasting impact on pop culture with his unique brand of humor.
1970: Origin of Pee-wee's Voice
In 1970, Paul Reubens adopted a cartoon-like way of speaking for a role in Life with Father, which later became Pee-wee's voice.
1977: Guest Appearances on The Gong Show
Starting in 1977, Paul Reubens made 14 guest appearances on The Gong Show, including performances as Jay Longtoe.
1978: Origin of the Pee-wee Herman Character
In 1978, during an improvisation exercise with the Groundlings, Paul Reubens created the character of Pee-wee Herman.
1980: Appearance in Cheech & Chong's Next Movie
In 1980, Paul Reubens appeared as Pee-wee in Cheech & Chong's Next Movie.
1980: Audition for Saturday Night Live
In 1980, Paul Reubens auditioned for Saturday Night Live, but was not hired due to the presence of Gilbert Gottfried.
1980: Small Part in The Blues Brothers
In 1980, Paul Reubens had a small part as a waiter in The Blues Brothers.
1981: HBO Aired The Pee-wee Herman Show
In 1981, HBO aired The Pee-wee Herman Show as part of their series On Location.
1981: Starting Own Show in Los Angeles
In 1981, Paul Reubens decided to start his own show in Los Angeles using the character Pee-wee Herman, after not being hired for Saturday Night Live.
1984: Performance at Carnegie Hall
In 1984, Paul Reubens performed The Pee-wee Herman Show in front of a full Carnegie Hall, marking a significant milestone in his career.
1985: Release of Pee-wee's Big Adventure
In 1985, Paul Reubens produced and wrote the feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, which became a financial and critical success.
1985: Release and Reception of Pee-wee's Big Adventure
In 1985, Pee-wee's Big Adventure was released, grossing $40,940,662 domestically and eventually becoming a cult film.
September 13, 1986: Premiere of Pee-wee's Playhouse
On September 13, 1986, Pee-wee's Playhouse premiered, marking the start of a successful run.
1986: Starring in Pee-wee's Playhouse
From 1986, Paul Reubens began starring as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.
1986: Voice of the Ship's Computer in Flight of the Navigator
In 1986, Paul Reubens (billed as Paul Mall) voiced the ship's computer in Flight of the Navigator.
1986: Production of Pee-wee's Playhouse Begins
In 1986, production began on Pee-wee's Playhouse in New York City, with Paul Reubens acting, producing, and directing the show.
1988: Pee-wee franchise generates $25 million
By 1988, the Pee-wee franchise, including toys and clothes, generated more than $25 million at its peak.
1988: Release of Big Top Pee-wee
In 1988, the sequel to Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Big Top Pee-wee, was released, though it was less successful than the first film.
1989: Pee-wee Herman receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame and publishes book
In 1989, Pee-wee Herman was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Paul Reubens published a book as Pee-wee called Travels with Pee-Wee.
November 10, 1990: Final Episode of Pee-wee's Playhouse
On November 10, 1990, the final episode of Pee-wee's Playhouse aired, concluding its five-season run.
1990: End of Pee-wee's Playhouse
In 1990, Paul Reubens starred as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.
July 1991: CBS pulls Pee-wee's Playhouse reruns
In July 1991, following Paul Reubens' arrest, CBS pulled the last two remaining reruns of Pee-wee's Playhouse from their schedule.
1991: Arrest leads to professional consequences
In 1991, Paul Reubens' arrest led to widespread media coverage, late-night talk show ridicule, suspension of a Pee-wee video from Disney-MGM Studios, and removal of Pee-wee toys from Toys "R" Us.
1991: Pee-wee Herman appearance at MTV Video Music Awards
In 1991, despite the controversy surrounding his arrest, Paul Reubens appeared as Pee-wee Herman at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 5, where he received a standing ovation.
1992: Appearance at Grand Ole Opry tribute to Minnie Pearl
In 1992, Paul Reubens made a rare appearance as Pee-wee Herman, participating in a Grand Ole Opry tribute to Minnie Pearl.
1998: Fox Family Channel airs Pee-wee's Playhouse reruns
In 1998, Fox Family Channel briefly aired reruns of Pee-wee's Playhouse.
1999: Proposed Pee-wee Chow cereal
In 1999, Paul Reubens proposed a sugar-free cereal called "Ralston Purina Pee-wee Chow cereal," but it was not released due to a negative reaction in a blind taste test.
1999: Return to Big-Budget Projects
In 1999, after a period of reduced involvement in major projects, Paul Reubens appeared in several big-budget productions including Mystery Men.
2001: Appearance in Blow
In 2001, Paul Reubens appeared in several big-budget productions including Blow.
November 2004: Release of Pee-wee's Playhouse on DVD
In November 2004, all 45 episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse, plus six episodes that had never before been released on home video, were released on DVD split between two box set collections.
July 2006: Cartoon Network to air Pee-wee's Playhouse
In early July 2006, Cartoon Network began running promos and later confirmed that the show's 45 original episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse would air nightly starting that date.
2010: Revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show
In 2010, Paul Reubens revived The Pee-wee Herman Show, performing it in Los Angeles and on Broadway.
July 3, 2013: Shout! Factory acquires rights to Pee-wee's Playhouse
On July 3, 2013, Shout! Factory announced that they had acquired the rights to the entire Pee-wee's Playhouse series from Paul Reubens.
October 21, 2014: Pee-wee's Playhouse released on Blu-ray
On October 21, 2014, the entire Pee-wee's Playhouse series was released on Blu-ray after being digitally remastered from the original 35mm film elements and original audio tracks.
2016: Release of Pee-wee's Big Holiday
In 2016, Paul Reubens co-wrote and starred in the Netflix original film Pee-wee's Big Holiday, reprising his role as Pee-wee Herman.
May 23, 2025: Release of Pee-wee as Himself documentary
On May 23, 2025, the two-part documentary series on Paul Reubens's life, Pee-wee as Himself, was released on HBO and Max.
2025: Release of documentary Pee-wee as Himself
In 2025, the documentary "Pee-wee as Himself," which Paul Reubens participated in filming before his death, was released on HBO and Max.
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