Hollywood Mourns Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens: Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, David Hasselhoff and More Share Touching Tributes to the Comedy Star 

By Radhamely De Leon
Published July 31, 2023, 3:42 p.m. ET

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Paul Reubens

Celebrities across Hollywood are taking to social media to remember comedy star Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman, who died Sunday (July 30) evening at the age of 70 after a private battle with cancer.

Reubens is best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, an iconic role he took on in the 1980s that spawned multiple television series and films, including his 1985 collaboration with Tim Burton, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

Following the announcement of the actor’s passing, a posthumous statement from Reubens was shared to his Instagram.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens’ statement read. “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.”

Celebrities and fans flooded the comments of his statement to offer their condolences.

Director Judd Apatow wrote, “This is devastating news. We got to spend many years working with Paul on Pee Wee’s Big Holiday and got to see his genius and kindness up close. He made the world so happy! Some of the biggest laughs I have ever experienced was watching him perform live. He is irreplaceable.”

Performer Dita Von Teese wrote that she will “miss the birthday videos and our trips to Super Walgreens. What a wonderful man he was.”

On Twitter, Jimmy Kimmel remembered the comedy actor as “a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time.” He also echoed Von Teese’s sentiment, writing that Reubens “never forgot a birthday.”

Reubens “shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him,” Kimmel tweeted.

“No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens. Everyone I know received countless nonsensical memes from Paul on their birthday, and I mean EVERYONE. His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts,” Conan O’Brien wrote on Twitter.

David Hasselhoff also shared a tribute to his friend, whom he had known since they were students at California Institute of the Arts. He posted an autographed picture of the pair that read, “To my ol’ college pal David.”

“Paul Reubens was a great, great friend. He gave me the muppets for my birthday and never forgot anyone’s birthday from our class. He was in my class at CalArts and room mates! He was always kind to me and to everyone. He will be missed,” Hasselhoff wrote in the caption of his post.

Others on social media remembered him for his hilarious appearances in shows like 30 Rock, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do In The Shadows.

The actor’s representative, Don Birge, confirmed his passing in a statement to Decider, saying, “Paul was beloved and he will be terribly missed.”