Paul Reubens

Pee-wee Herman—and His Legacy—Come Out of the Closet

Paul Reubens posthumously comes out as gay in a new documentary. Does that change how we look at his iconic character, Pee-wee Herman?

Chris Feil

PLAYHOUSE IN THE SKY

‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’ Actress and Comedian Dies at 78

Lynne Marie Stewart began her comedy career as part of the Hollywood-based sketch group, “The Groundlings.”

Liam Archacki

Paul Reubens appears in Pee-wee as Himself, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

BUT WHAT AM I?

The Secret, Closeted Life of Pee-wee Herman

The doc “Pee-wee as Himself” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, revealing the contentious relationship Paul Reubens had with fame and the character who made him a star.

Nick Schager

SECRET BATTLE

‘Pee-wee Herman’ Star Paul Reubens Had Two Kinds of Cancer

A death certificate reveals new details about his health crisis.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

Paul Reubens Never Got to Make the Comeback He Deserved

After his controversial pair of arrests in the ’90s and early-aughts, the comedian saw his career put on pause. If any reappraisals are made, they’ll now have to be posthumous.

Charles Bramesco

LUCKIEST BOY IN THE WORLD

Paul Reubens Thinks It’s Time for a Dark Pee-wee Reboot

The pitch: Pee-wee emerges from prison, finds fame as a yodeling star, and then transitions to movie stardom—at which point he becomes addicted to pills and alcohol.

Laura Bradley