Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens passed away this week at the age of 70 following a private, years-long battle with cancer and now, fans are paying tribute to the beloved entertainer by leaving bouquets of flowers outside the South Pasadena home used as a filming location for the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. According to People, fans have been placing flowers in the white picket fence outside of the Oxley Street home.
The home is currently owned by William Young, who told The New York Post recently that he has no plans to sell the home and intends to move into it himself at some point, calling the home a “blessing” since the Tim Burton film came out in 1985.
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“It’s been a blessing since the movie came out in the ’80s,” he said. “Our house was listed on some sites of famous movie homes and had fans taking selfies in front of the house.”
He continued, “It seemed such a long time ago when they filmed outside our house. It was an unknown director Tim Burton [at that time] who worked with Pee-wee for the exterior set. The props in the front yard had [seemed] so strange. Of course, back then we didn’t know the character of Pee-wee Herman.”
Reubens’ passing was confirmed by his rep on Monday on the Pee-wee Herman Official Page on Facebook.
“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. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”
The post also contained a message from Reubens himself thanking his fans and apologizing for his passing as well as keeping the secret of his illness for the past six years.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens wrote. “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,” – Paul Reubens.
A note on the post also instructs fans how to honor Paul Reubens: “Paul asked that any expressions of sympathy be made in honor of his late parents, Judy and Milton Reubenfeld, to Stand Up to Cancer or organizations involved in Dementia and Alzheimer’s care, support and research.”
Paul Reubens was born “Paul Reubenfeld” in Peekskill, New York, in 1952. He grew up in a Jewish family, spending a lot of his time going between New York and Sarasota, Florida, where his parents Judy (a teacher) and Milton Reubenfeld (an auto salesman and combat pilot) owned and operated a lamp store. Paul was the oldest of three siblings, growing up with his younger brother Luke (a dog trainer) and younger sister Abby (an American Civil Liberties Union attorney in Tennessee). He is best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, launching “The Pee-wee Herman Show” in LA’s Roxy Theater in the early 1980s where he sold out shows both for adults and for kids. That led to the 1985 feature film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and the CBS series Pee-wee’s Playhouse, a live-action children’s program starring Reubens which ran from 1986-1991. Reubens also appeared in a number of films as a more serious actor over the years.
