History of Paul Reubens in Timeline
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.
1948: Father's Involvement in the Arab-Israeli War
In 1948, Milton Rubenfeld, Paul Reubens' father, was one of the founding pilots of the Israeli Air Force during the Arab-Israeli War, flying against Arab forces in smuggled fighter planes.
August 27, 1952: Paul Reubens' Birth
On August 27, 1952, Paul Rubenfeld, later known as Paul Reubens, was born in Peekskill, New York.
1953: Birth of Abby Rubenfeld
In 1953, Abby Rubenfeld, Paul Reubens' younger sister, was born.
1958: Birth of Luke Rubenfeld
In 1958, Luke Rubenfeld, Paul Reubens' younger brother, was born.
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.
1971: Arrested for loitering and prowling
In 1971, Paul Reubens was arrested for loitering and prowling near an adult theater, although charges were dropped.
1973: Graduation from California Institute of the Arts
In 1973, Paul Reubens graduated with a BFA in Theatre from the California Institute of the Arts.
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.
1983: Arrested for possession of marijuana
In 1983, Paul Reubens was arrested and placed on two years of probation for possession of marijuana.
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: Attended Academy Awards with Valeria Golino
In 1988, Paul Reubens attended the Academy Awards with his Big Top Pee-wee co-star Valeria Golino, sparking rumors that they were dating.
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: Arrested for indecent exposure
In July 1991, Paul Reubens was arrested in Sarasota, Florida, for indecent exposure while watching a film at a porno theater. He offered to perform a children's benefit for the sheriff's office in exchange for leniency.
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.
November 7, 1991: No contest plea and community service
On November 7, 1991, Paul Reubens pleaded no contest to charges related to his arrest, which avoided a charge on his record but obligated him to 75 hours of community service. He created and financed anti-drug public service announcements as part of his service.
1991: Recovering from depression after arrest
After his 1991 arrest, Paul Reubens credited Debi Mazar with helping him recover from the resulting depression.
1991: Arrest for Indecent Exposure
In 1991, Paul Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult theater in Sarasota, leading to significant media attention and postponement of major projects.
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.
1993: Platonic relationship with Debi Mazar
In 1993, Paul Reubens reportedly "dated" actress Debi Mazar after he began attending film premieres with her, and she helped him recover from depression caused by his 1991 arrest. Their relationship was platonic.
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 2002: Police search warrant at home
In November 2002, while Paul Reubens was filming a video for Elton John's "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore", police executed a search warrant at his home, acting on a tip related to a pornography case. They found videotapes and photographs that the city attorney's office characterized as "child pornography."
February 2004: Father's death
In February 2004, during his ongoing legal issues, Paul Reubens' father died of cancer, after Reubens had spent two years caring for him in Sarasota, Florida.
March 2004: Child pornography charges dropped
In March 2004, child pornography charges against Paul Reubens were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea to a lesser misdemeanor obscenity charge. He was required to register his address with the sheriff's office for three years and could not be in the company of minors without permission.
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.
2007: Pee-wee's Playhouse named top 10 TV cult classic
In 2007, TV Guide named Pee-wee's Playhouse one of the top 10 TV cult classics of all time.
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.
July 2023: Death of Paul Reubens
In July 2023, Paul Reubens died from cancer, marking the end of his life and career.
July 30, 2023: Paul Reubens' Death
On July 30, 2023, Paul Reubens, the American actor and comedian known for creating Pee-wee Herman, passed away.
2023: Death of Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens took part in the filming of the documentary "Pee-wee as Himself" prior to his death in 2023.
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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