Thereafter, Reubens decided to take a sabbatical from Pee-wee.
Between 19, Reubens starred as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.
Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), was less successful. His feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), directed by Tim Burton, was a financial and critical success, and soon developed into a cult film. Pee-wee became an instant cult figure and, for the next decade, Reubens was completely committed to his character, doing all of his public appearances and interviews as Pee-wee. The show was called The Pee-wee Herman Show, and ran for five sold-out months HBO also produced a successful special about it. In 1982, Reubens began appearing in a show about a character he had been developing for years.
Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Paul Reubens ( / ˈ r uː b ən z/ born Rubenfeld August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer.
