Reubens, Paul 1952–
REUBENS, Paul 1952–
(Pee–Wee Herman)
PERSONAL
Original name, Paul Rubenfeld; born August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, NY; raised in Sarasota, FL; son of Milton (a lamp store owner and automobile salesperson) and Judy (a lamp store owner and teacher) Rubenfeld; companion of Chandi Heffner. Education: Studied acting at Northwestern University's summer program for gifted high school students; attended Boston University and California Institute of the Arts. Avocational Interests: Collecting memorabilia, gardening.
Addresses: Contact—6640 Sunset Blvd., Suite 203, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Agent—United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Fifth Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Publicist—I/D Public Relations, 8409 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069.
Career: Comedian and actor. Created the Pee–Wee Herman character in the late 1970s; performer in clubs, with Charlotte McGinnis, in a vaudeville–style act called the Hilarious Betty and Eddie; performer with The Groundlings, a Los Angeles improvisational theatre group; voice artist for animated programs and feature films; voice of REX the robot pilot in the Disneyland attraction Star Tours. Also worked variously as a busboy, cook, and salesperson. Affiliated with Pee–Wee Herman merchandise.
Awards, Honors: Elmer Award, Harvard Lampoon, lifetime achievement in comedy, 1985; named an honorary muppet, Muppet magazine, 1986; Television Critics Association Award, outstanding achievement in children's programming, 1987, Daytime Emmy awards (with others), outstanding achievement in art direction/set decoration/scenic design and outstanding achievement in graphics and title design, both 1990, Daytime Emmy Award nominations, outstanding writing in a children's series, 1986 and 1987, outstanding performer in children's programming (as Pee–Wee Herman), 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990, outstanding children's series, 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990, outstanding directing in a children's series, 1987, 1989, and 1990, and outstanding achievement in art direction/set decoration/scenic design, 1988 and 1989, all for Pee–Wee's Playhouse; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding art direction for a variety or music program, 1989, for Christmas Special; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding guest actor in a comedy series, 1995, for Murphy Brown.
CREDITS
Film Appearances:
Pinball proprietor, Midnight Madness, Buena Vista, 1980.
Waiter, The Blues Brothers, Universal, 1980.
Howie Hamburger (the hamburger dude), Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams (also known as Nice Dreams), Columbia, 1981.
Johnson, Pandemonium (also known as Thursday the Twelfth), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1981.
Dream On, 1981.
Paul Mall and voice of Max, Flight of the Navigator, Buena Vista, 1986.
Amilyn, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1992.
Penguin's father, Batman Returns (also known as Batman 2 and The New Batman), Warner Bros., 1992.
FBI agent, Matilda (also known as Roald Dahl's Matilda), Sony Pictures Entertainment, 1996.
La Farge, Dunston Checks In, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1996.
Voice of Lock, The Nightmare before Christmas (animated; also known as Tim Burton's The Nightmare before Christmas), Buena Vista, 1996.
Professor Spatz, Buddy, Columbia, 1997.
Voice of Fife, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (animated; also known as Beauty and the Beast 2), Buena Vista, 1997.
Voice of Raccoon, Dr. Doolittle, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1997.
The Spleen, Mystery Man, Universal, 1999.
Arvid Henry, South of Heaven, West of Hell, Phaedra Cinema, 2000.
Derek Foreal, Blow, New Line Cinema, 2001.
Himself, Mayor of the Sunset Strip, First Look Pictures Releasing, 2004.
Voice of Dennis, Teacher's Pet (animated; also known as Disney's Teacher's Pet), Buena Vista, 2004.
Film Appearances; as Pee–Wee Herman:
Desk clerk, Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (also known as High Encounters (of the Ultimate Kind)), Universal, 1980.
Albert/Hare Krishna, Meatballs, Part II (also known as Space Kid), TriStar, 1984.
Pee–Wee's Big Adventure, Warner Bros., 1985.
Back to the Beach, Paramount, 1987.
Big Top Pee–Wee, Paramount, 1988.
Film Producer:
(And set decorator [uncredited]) Pee–Wee's Big Adventure, Warner Bros., 1985.
Big Top Pee–Wee, Paramount, 1988.
Television Appearances; Series:
Voice of Freaky Frankenstone, The Flintstones (animated), NBC, 1981–1984.
Wally Bile, Likely Stories, Vol. 2, Cinemax, beginning 1983.
Pee–Wee Herman and Billy Baloney, Pee–Wee's Playhouse, CBS, 1986–1991.
Andrew J. Lansing III, Murphy Brown, CBS, 1995–1996.
Troy Stevens, You Don't Know Jack, ABC, 2001.
Television Appearances; Movies:
Jack Chudnowski, Pray TV (also known as K–GOD), 1980.
Television Appearances; Specials:
Cafe counter guy, Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty, 1980.
Pee–Wee Herman, The Pee–Wee Herman Show, HBO, 1981.
Child educator, Lily for President, CBS, 1982.
The Paragon of Comedy, Showtime, 1984.
Pee–Wee Herman, Rock 'n' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular, CBS, 1985.
Pee–Wee Herman, Wildest West Show of the Stars, CBS, 1986.
Pee–Wee Herman, It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40–Year Celebration (also known as Howdy Doody's 40th Anniversary and Howdy Doody's 40th Birthday Special), syndicated, 1987.
Pee–Wee Herman, A Special Evening of Pee–Wee's Playhouse, CBS, 1987.
Pee–Wee Herman, Christmas Special (also known as Christmas at Pee Wee's Playhouse, Pee–Wee Herman's Christmas Special, and Pee–Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special), CBS, 1988.
Pee–Wee Herman, Sesame Street Special (also known as Put down the Duckie), PBS, 1988.
Pee–Wee Herman, Hats Off to Minnie Pearl: America Honors Minnie Pearl, The Nashville Network, 1992.
Comic Relief's 10th Anniversary, HBO, 1996.
Himself, Canned Ham: Mystery Man, Comedy Central, 1999.
Voices of Jet and the Bubble, The Groovenians (animated short), The Cartoon Network, 2002.
Himself, E! 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment History (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2003.
Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:
Pee–Wee Herman, The American Comedy Awards (also known as First Annual American Comedy Awards), ABC, 1987.
Pee–Wee Herman, The 14th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, ABC, 1987.
Pee–Wee Herman, The 60th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1988.
Pee–Wee Herman, The MTV Video Music Awards, syndicated, 1991.
Presenter, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, Independent Film Channel, 2001.
Television Appearances; Episodic:
Working Stiffs, CBS, 1979.
Dickie Nimitz, "Long before We Met," Mork & Mindy, ABC, 1981.
Pee–Wee Herman, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1982, 1983, and 1984.
(As Pee–Wee Herman) Pinocchio, "Pinocchio," Faerie Tale Theatre, Showtime, 1984.
(As Pee–Wee Herman) Host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1985.
Pee–Wee Herman, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1985.
Pee–Wee Herman, "Episode 1," Dolly, ABC, 1987.
Pee–Wee Herman, "Toyland," 227, NBC, 1987.
Pee–Wee Herman, The Late Show with Joan Rivers, syndicated, 1987.
Himself, The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1998.
Voice, Disney's Hercules (animated), ABC and syndicated, 1998.
Himself, Raw Is War, USA Network, 1999.
Russell, "Hackidu," Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 2000.
Louis, "Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade," Ally McBeal, Fox, 2001.
Himself, "Tim Burton: Trick or Treat," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001.
Himself, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 2001.
Himself, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 2001.
Himself, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2001.
Voice of Hermie the elf, "Babies in Toyland," Rugrats (animated), Nickelodeon, 2002.
Also appeared in The Gong Show, NBC; and in The Dating Game.
Television Appearances; Pilots:
Pee–Wee Herman, Buckshot, ABC, 1980.
Television Work; Series:
Director, executive producer, set decorator, and title designer (with others), Pee–Wee's Playhouse, CBS, 1986–1991.
Creative consultant, You Don't Know Jack, ABC, 2001.
Television Director; Specials:
(And producer) The Pee–Wee Herman Show, HBO, 1981.
(And executive producer) A Special Evening of Pee–Wee's Playhouse, CBS, 1987.
Christmas Special (also known as Christmas at Pee Wee's Playhouse, Pee–Wee Herman's Christmas Special, and Pee–Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special), CBS, 1988.
Stage Appearances:
Pee–Wee Herman, The Pee–Wee Herman Show, Groundlings Theatre, Los Angeles, beginning 1980, then the Roxy, Los Angeles, c. 1981.
Reid Evan Wilson, Beverly Winwood Presents the Actors Showcase, Groundlings Theatre, 2002.
Appeared in productions of the Asolo Theatre, Sarasota, FL, as a child.
Stage Producer:
The Pee–Wee Herman Show, Groundlings Theatre, Los Angeles, beginning 1980, then the Roxy, Los Angeles, c. 1981.
RECORDINGS
Music Videos:
"Tequila," by the Champs, c. 1985.
"All Star," by Smash Mouth, 1999.
Elton John's manager, "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore," by Elton John, 2001.
WRITINGS
Screenplays:
(With Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol) Pee–Wee's Big Adventure, Warner Bros., 1985.
(With George McGrath) Big Top Pee–Wee, Paramount, 1988.
Teleplays; Series:
(With others) Twilight Theater (also known as Steve Martin's Twilight Theater), NBC, beginning c. 1982.
Pee–Wee's Playhouse, CBS, 1986–1991.
You Don't Know Jack (based on the game of the same name), ABC, 2001.
Teleplays; Specials:
The Pee–Wee Herman Show, HBO, 1981.
The Paragon of Comedy, Showtime, 1984.
A Special Evening of Pee–Wee's Playhouse, CBS, 1987.
Christmas Special (also known as Christmas at Pee Wee's Playhouse, Pee–Wee Herman's Christmas Special, and Pee–Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special), CBS, 1988.
Television Music:
Theme music, Pee–wee's Playhouse (series), CBS, 1986–1991.
Song "Oh, It's Christmas in the Playhouse," Christmas Special (special; also known as Christmas at Pee Wee's Playhouse, Pee–Wee Herman's Christmas Special, and Pee–Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special), CBS, 1988.
Writings for the Stage:
The Pee–Wee Herman Show, Groundlings Theatre, Los Angeles, beginning 1980, then the Roxy, Los Angeles, c. 1981.
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals:
Camera Obscura, May, 1988, pp. 155–67.
Entertainment Weekly, October 20, 1995, pp. 10–11; April 20, 2001, pp. 30–31; April 9, 2004, pp. 50–53.
Interview, December, 1983; September, 1985.
Mean, July, 2001, pp. 20–23.
People Weekly, August 13, 1984; August 12, 1985.
Rolling Stone, February 12, 1987.
Time, April 9, 2001, pp. 74–75.
TV Guide, October 10, 1998, pp. 53–54.
US Weekly, August 26, 1985.
Vanity Fair, September, 1999.