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Lynne Marie Stewart, the TV actress best known for her roles on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” has died. She was 78.

Stewart’s death was confirmed by her friend Cassandra Peterson on Instagram.

“My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend @lynnestewart78 Lynne Stewart’s passing,” Peterson wrote. “One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be ‘the most beautiful woman in Puppetland’.”

In July 2024 Stewart told People she visited Paul Reubens before his death in 2023 and the pair reminisced about their series.

“I got to be in the hospital with him,” she explained. “He said, I have loved deeply, and I’ve been loved in return. I said, ‘Paul, you’re loved all over the world.’ And I was so glad to be able to tell him that.”

“He was funny to the end,...

Lynne Marie Stewart, who had supporting turns in “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” has died, her friend Cassandra Peterson confirmed via Instagram Friday. She was 78.

A lifelong Los Angeles native, Stewart began her career in comedy as part of the Hollywood-based sketch group “The Groundlings,” where she met Peterson and future “Pee-wee” co-star Paul Reubens.

Her early television career included roles as several different nurses on “M*A*S*H”, a guest spot on “Night Court” and a slew of recurring roles on “Laverne & Shirley.” In 1973, she had a brief role as a driver in “American Graffiti,” and in 1987 she appeared in the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller “The Running Man.”

Stewart was best known for her role as Miss Yvonne, “the Most Beautiful Woman in Puppetland,” first originated in the 1981 Broadway stage version of “The Pee-wee Herman Show.” She would continue in the role across film and television, playing Miss...

Lynne Marie Stewart, who was best known as Miss Yvonne on Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Charlie’s mom on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has passed away at the age of 78.

News of Lynne Marie Stewart’s death was shared by longtime friend Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira), who wrote on Instagram, “My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend @lynnestewart78 Lynne Stewart’s passing. One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be “the most beautiful woman in Puppetland”.

Lynne Marie Stewart got her start with the famed Los Angeles-based sketch troupe The Groundlings. It was here that she fell in with both Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman, with the former casting both in his stage show The Pee-wee Herman Show. Stewart would play Miss Yvonne, The Most Beautiful Woman in Puppetland. She...

Lynne Marie Stewart, the veteran actress best known for her work on Pee-wee’s Playhouse and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, among dozens of other projects, has died. She was 78.

Stewart died Friday, according to a spokesperson for the comedy sketch troupe The Groundlings. The cause of death wasn’t immediately available.

“We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of our dear sweet Lynne Stewart,” The Groundlings shared in a statement. “She wasn’t just the most beautiful woman in all of Puppetland — she was the most beautiful woman that we ever met, inside and out. Her warmth, humor and unforgettable presence lit up a room and brought joy to so, so many. She will be deeply missed, but her light will continue to shine through the laughter and love she gave us all.”

Born on Dec. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, Stewart had an extensive acting career. In her early acting days,...

Lynne Marie Stewart, the actress known for roles in Pee-wee’s Playhouse and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died. She was 78.

Elvira star Cassandra Peterson was one of several to pay tribute to the actress Friday on Instagram after coming up together at The Groundlings in Los Angeles and appearing in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and The Elvira Show (1993) together.

“My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend @lynnestewart78 Lynne Stewart’s passing,” wrote Peterson on Instagram. “One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be ‘the most beautiful woman in Puppetland.'”

Born Dec. 14, 1946 in L.A., Stewart was a member of The Groundlings in the ’70s, where she met Peterson, Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman.

Stewart was most known and beloved for playing Miss Yvonne and other roles in Reubens’ Pee-wee franchise,...

Lynne Marie Stewart, best known for her role as Miss Yvonne in Pee-wee's Playhouse and other projects featuring Paul Reubens' Pee-wee Herman, has passed away. She was 78 years old.

The news of Stewart's passing was announced by Cassandra Peterson, better known by her Elvira persona, in a post on Instagram. Peterson, who was friends with Stewart, shared an image with the caption noting, "My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend Lynne Stewart’s passing. One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be 'the most beautiful woman in Puppetland.'”

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Stewart appeared in Peterson's 1988 film, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and she'd later reunite with Peterson for The Elvira Show in 1993. In the image posted, Peterson and...

Phil Hartman's comedic brilliance shone on SNL, captivating viewers with unforgettable characters and impersonations. Before SNL, Hartman helped create Pee-wee Herman with Paul Reubens, showcasing his talent and creativity. Despite personal turmoil, Hartman's legacy as a beloved comedian and family man continues to be celebrated.

Celebrated comedian, actor, and writer Phil Hartman captivated audiences for eight years during his sensational tenure on Saturday Night Live, delivering laughter and joy with his impeccable impersonations and zany original characters. Before making it big on the trailblazing sketch show, Hartman worked closely with fellow comedy great Paul Reubens, helping him create his iconic alter ego, Pee-wee Herman.

Hartman performed alongside stars like Jon Lovitz, Dana Carvey, and Chris Farley during his time on SNL. He then branched out and appeared in films like Coneheads, and So I Married an Axe Murderer and in the TV shows The Simpsons, DuckTales, and Pee-wees Playhouse.

Pee-wee’s Playhouse was the culmination of a character created back in the 70s by the multi-talented Paul Reubens. Reubens had joined the comedy group the Groundlings in the 70s. The Groundlings was the jumping-off point for several famous comedians and icons. This would include Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, Cassandra Peterson, Craig T. Nelson, a who’s who list of SNL Alumni, Conan O’Brien, JJ Abrams, and well…just a lot of people.

A number of the troupe who were there when Reubens was a part of the Groundlings would wind up as part of not only Pee-wee’s Playhouse but also other Pee-wee projects. I mean…who can forget Cassandra Peterson, Aka Elvira, as the biker gang badass chick who wanted a go at Pee Wee first?

From his time creating the character at The Groundlings, Reubens had a go for Saturday Night Live which didn’t happen. After this, he...

Paul Reubens’ cause of death has been revealed months following his death in July.

The late actor died from acute hypoxic respiratory failure, according to his death certificate that People obtained and his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter Saturday. The condition happens when the respiratory system cannot adequately provide oxygen to the body.

Reubens, the man behind the iconic character Pee-wee Herman, died in Los Angeles at the age of 70. He had also been battling two types of cancer for several years prior to his death, his rep said.

“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,” a statement read at the time of his death. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit.

The passing of actor Paul Reubens has triggered fresh screenings of the '80s classic Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which introduced the actor's iconic persona to the world. It's perhaps the purest expression of the character, with its success facilitating the award-winning Pee-wee's Playhouse that followed. It's also the directorial debut of Tim Burton, who found his own style amid Reubens' very distinctive shtick. Pee-wee provided the fulcrum to let the director hit his stride and eventually become one of Hollywood's most distinctive auteurs.

In its own weird way, the pairing was perfect: their sensibilities meshed in precisely the right way to let both of them thrive. And while Pee-wee always stuck close to his nuts-and-bolts roots, Burton went on to enjoy monster budgets from A-list Hollywood productions. Pee-wee's Big Adventure shows what he can do when he doesn't have a lot of money. In its own way, it's the...

Actor whose television character Pee-wee Herman delighted children and their parents in the 1980s

One of the most subversive and original figures in 1980s popular culture was a whey-faced, cherry-lipped, matchstick-thin child-man who wore a red bow tie, white tasselled loafers and a shrunken grey suit, and lived in a giant playhouse with sentient furniture and a floating head. This was Pee-wee Herman, created and played by the actor Paul Reubens, who has died aged 70 of cancer.

The character appeared on stage in The Pee-wee Herman Show during the early 1980s but did not become known internationally until the release of the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), which marked the doolally debut of the director Tim Burton. US cinema in the Reagan era drew heavily on the iconography of the 50s and early 60s, whether for purposes sweet or unsavoury; this big-screen outing for Pee-wee, who was already suffused with the...

"Pee-wee's Playhouse" was an anomaly. It premiered a year after the surprise box office success of Tim Burton's "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," and, like "The Pee-wee Herman Show" before it, seemed to be strictly kids' stuff. But Paul Reubens' overgrown child act uniquely appealed to the inner brat in all of us. It wasn't like Looney Tunes, where artists snuck in adult-skewing references, nor was it a full-on, off-color parody of the kiddie show format that you'd find on "Saturday Night Live." It was honestly, disarmingly, good clean fun. Its target audience could enjoy it over a bowl of Frosted Flakes, while college students and beyond could enjoy it over a bowl of Frosted Flakes preceded by a bowl of ... something else.

A weekly half-hour dose of Pee-wee was bliss in 1986. I'd just started junior high, which is when your action figures are immediately consigned to the attic, so admitting...

It says everything about who Paul Reubens was – and just how much of the curtain surrounding him he was comfortable opening – that the obituaries marking the brilliant 70-year-old comedian’s death Sunday night make his name inseparable from that of his most-famous character creation, Pee-wee Herman. It’s not “Paul Reubens” but “Paul Reubens, best known as Pee-wee Herman” or “a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman.” The man would have been honored that this was his legacy, as he always seemed much more comfortable being the bizarro dude with the signature flattop haircut, grey plaid suit and small red bowtie. I mean, his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame reads “Pee-wee Herman” and not “Paul Reubens.” If we’re judging success based purely on how inextricably linked our identity is to a fictitious persona we created, that must be a grand slam.

Reubens died after what was termed “a private bout with cancer.

It was the laugh that got you first: A staccato giggle combined with what sounded like a T. rex’s roar. If you watch The Pee-wee Herman Show, the HBO special taken from Paul Reubens’ 1981 stage show that — along with a handful of appearances on Late Night with David Letterman — introduced this hyperactive goofball to a larger audience, you actually hear that arrrgghhhh–heh-heh-heh-heh-heh before you see him. And then, when Herman pokes his head through a window and bursts through a jagged front door (if the set looks like...

Paul Reubens' Pee-wee Herman wasn't always kid friendly.

My introduction to the most lovable dweeb in the history of dweebs came via "The Pee-wee Herman Show," the stage show that, in 1981, announced Reubens as the most inventively bizarre comedic talent since Ernie Kovacs. The production caught fire at Los Angeles' Groundlings theater, and eventually moved to the Roxy, where a performance was taped as an HBO special. I was eight years old when I saw a promo for the special, and I was both excited and perplexed. Why was something this zany and childlike airing at 10 Pm, which was, with few exceptions, exactly my bedtime?

Fortunately, one of those exceptions was the weekend, when I was allowed to stay up for "Saturday Night Live." While 11:30 Pm was a tall order for an eight-year-old who woke up early for cartoons, 10 Pm was doable. Honestly, any excuse to skip "Fantasy Island" was welcome.

Tim Burton will never forget Paul Reubens. Burton has shared a tribute to Reubens, who starred in and co-wrote Burton’s feature directorial debut Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, following Reuben’s death Sunday following a years-long battle with cancer at age 70.

“Shocked and saddened,” Burton wrote in a post on Instagram alongside a photo of the two on the set of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. “I’ll never forget how Paul helped me at the beginning of my career. It would not have happened without his support. He was a great artist. I’ll miss him.”

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure‘s Pee-wee Herman character became known following the 1981 The Pee-wee Herman Show comedy special on HBO. The film character was a quirky man who dressed in his trademark gray suit, red bow tie and white loafers, and in the film went on an adventure as he hunted down his stolen bike.

Forget the pleasantries, today sucks. Paul Reubens, best known for his incomparable work as Pee-wee Herman, has passed away. The weird, wacky, and wonderful comedy figure is one of the most influential creatives ever to do it, and left in his wake is an irreplaceable void of silly, absurdist joy. Reubens' created the character of Pee-wee Herman while performing with The Groundlings, the legendary improvisational comedy troupe boasting alumni like Laraine Newman, Pat Morita, Craig T. Nelson, Jon Lovitz, Adrienne Barbeau, Conan O'Brien, Phil Hartman, Phil Lamarr, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Coolidge, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Will Forte, Annie Mumolo, Kaitlin Olson, Edi Patterson, Tony Cavalero, and a ridiculous number of other eventual "Saturday Night Live" players.

Pee-wee Herman was an immediate hit and led to Reubens writing, producing, directing, and starring in "The Pee-wee Herman Show." He quickly became a household name, and the Pee-wee character would get another show,...

Paul Reubens, the comedic actor best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, died from cancer on Sunday night. He was 70.

In a statement posted on Instagram after his death, Reubens wrote, “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. 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.”

His estate also wrote in the caption, saying that Pee-wee Herman believed in the “importance of kindness” and that he would live on forever as a “man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”

Reubens began his comedy career in the 1970s after joining the Groundlings, a live comedy troupe. In 1980, he started The Pee-wee Herman Show, which quickly gained a cult following. His character became iconic as a man-child with catchphrases like “I know you are,...

Hollywood stars are reacting to the the news of Paul Reubens’ death. The late actor known for playing Pee-wee Herman on stage, television and film died Monday at age 70. His death was announced on his official Facebook page revealing that the actor had cancer for years, a diagnosis he had not shared publicly.

“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,” a statement read. “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.”

A statement from Reubens was also shared with the announcement, in which the late actor said,...

In the wake of Paul Reubens’ death at age 70, Pee-wee’s Playhouse alum Natasha Lyonne is among those fondly remembering the comedian.

“Love you so much, Paul,” Lyonne wrote in a tweet on Monday, accompanied by photos of her stint on the comedy series. “One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is.”

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Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens has died at age 70 after a private battle with cancer.

The star passed away on Sunday night, with the sad news being revealed on social media Monday.

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

“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.”

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The caption confirmed, “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.

Actor and comedian Paul Reubens, member of the Groundlings comedy troupe, producer, writer, game show host, and creator of the beloved, whimsical cult character Pee-wee Herman, passed away on July 31, 2023. He was 70 years old. This was confirmed by various posts on the actor's official social media pages and Variety. The cause of death was cancer.

Reubens was always a warm, fun, funny, flamboyant performer who threw himself into oddball roles and comedic set pieces with flair and aplomb. He first pioneered his famous Pee-wee Herman character on stage working with the Groundlings theater in Los Angeles, developing his voice and mannerisms for often-bawdy live performances. This grew into an extended run of "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" at the Roxy Theater which ran from 1981 to 1985. By then, the character had gathered a great deal of caché in the comedy world, attracting high-profile fans who were keen to have Reubens appear on television.

Well, this is a tearjerker.

Paul Reubens, best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, has died.

He was 70 years old. It was revealed via his Instagram account that he had been battling cancer for the last six years.

"Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years," Reubens shared in a posthumous message.

"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."

His estate wrote another message on the account, confirming Reubens' death.

"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," the statement reads.

"Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years...

“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens,” a statement on the official Pee-wee Herman Facebook page this afternoon begins, announcing the passing of the beloved performer.

The statement continues, “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.”

An actor, comedian, writer and producer, Paul Reubens is best known for playing the character Pee-wee Herman, which began with a live stage show titled “The Pee-wee Herman Show” in the early 1980s. The popularity of the show led to the Tim Burton-directed feature film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985, which spawned a follow-up movie (Big Top Pee-wee in 1988) as well as the Saturday morning TV show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” from 1986 through 1990. Reubens reprised the...

Paul Reubens, known best by his character name Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday after a private six-year battle with cancer. He was 70.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens wrote on an Instagram message posted today. “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.”

The post’s caption, written by his estate, reads: “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...

Paul Reubens, the actor who portrayed beloved character Pee-wee Herman that amused kids and adults of multiple generations, died on Sunday night at the age of 70. The cause of death was an unspecified cancer.

“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,” a post on the actor’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts read.

“Paul bravely and privately fought cancer...

Paul Reubens, known the world over as Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 70.

In a message posthumously posted to the legendary performer’s official Instagram page, Reubens wrote, “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. 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.”

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Paul Reubens, the actor best known for portraying the irrepressible, joyfully childlike Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday night after a private bout of cancer. He was 70.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death. “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.”

The Pee-wee Herman character was known for his bright red bowtie, grey suit and flattop haircut, and delivered his well-known catchphrases like “I know you are, but what am I?” in a distinctive squeaky, high-pitched voice.

“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,...

The character of Pee-wee Herman — a chuckling, hilarious man-child invented by comedian Paul Reubens — made his debut in 1977 in the film "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie," and cemented his legacy in 1981's "Nice Dreams." In the latter film, clearly strung out on something, the Pee-wee-like character asked if Cheech was the "guy from the hamburger train."

The same year, still playing the Pee-wee shtick, Reubens debuted "The Pee-wee Herman Show" at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, cementing the character in the local pop consciousness. The stage shows were quite expressly adult, even if Pee-wee himself was quirky and childish. Characters that debuted on stage would eventually appear on the popular TV show "Pee-wee's Playhouse" in 1986, including Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, and Cowboy Curtis.

Prior to the TV series, however, Reubens had ambitions to bring Pee-wee Herman to cinemas. Because the actor had a book of working directors, he...

The 1996 version of Matilda counts on the talents of various well-known actors, but is Pee-wee Herman also part of the cast of Matilda? Roald Dahl wrote a variety of stories, with many becoming classics of children’s literature, among them the 1988 novel Matilda. The popularity of Matilda has been such that it has been adapted to other media, including a two-part radio program, a stage musical, and a film adaptation of the musical. In 1996, Matilda made the jump to the big screen, with Danny DeVito as director and Mara Wilson playing the title character.

Matilda tells the story of the title character, a child prodigy who is neglected by her parents and tormented at school by the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). Matilda gradually realizes that she has psychokinetic abilities, and she starts to use these to deal with her abusive parents, Harry (DeVito) and Zinnia Wormwood (Rhea Perlman), and Miss Trunchbull.

Paul Reubens is celebrating a milestone birthday, with the alter ego of Pee-wee Herman turning 70 years old on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Reubens created the character while a member of Los Angeles-based improv troupe The Groundlings, spinning Pee-wee Herman off into a popular 1981 stage show that eventually spawned the Tim Burton directed movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and the hit Saturday morning TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which ran from 1986 until 1990.

Read More: HBO Green-Lights Doc About Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens

Reubens’ big day was celebrated by an array of tributes on social media from a cavalcade of stars, ranging from Cassandra Peterson to singers Cyndi Lauper and Lisa Loeb to former adult film star Traci Lords and more.

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John Paragon, best known for his role as Jambi the Genie on the television series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” has died. He was 66.

Paragon died in his residence in Palm Springs, Calif. on April 3, according to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. A representative for the Sheriff’s Department confirmed to Variety that Paragon’s cause of death was heart disease and chronic alcohol abuse.

Born in Anchorage, Alaska on Dec. 9, 1954, Paragon got his start in show business as part of the L.A.-based improv group The Groundlings, where he worked alongside comics Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman. In 1986, Paragon reunited with Reubens on his Saturday morning children’s show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” in which Paragon portrayed the teal-faced Jambi the Genie and provided the voice for Pterri. In addition to his role on the series, Paragon also wrote 24 regular season episodes and co-wrote its 1988 Christmas special with Reubens,...

Very sad news is coming in as it's being reported that actor John Paragon has passed away. The talented performer, who was widely known for playing Jambi the Genie on the 80s children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse, reportedly died in April, though word of his death is just starting to make the press. His passing was confirmed by the Riverside County Coroner, but a cause of death has not been revealed. Paragon was 66 years old.

Many fans of Pee-wee's Playhouse would say Jambi the Genie was just as important to the show as Pee-wee Herman. The character's bedazzled face would frequently appear in a jeweled box every time Herman wished for something, usually with a big smile behind blue makeup. Paragon also provided the voice of Pee-wee's pterodactyl pal Pterri and served as a writer and director for several episodes.

Along with Paul Reubens, Paragon co-write the hit 1988 television special Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special.

John Paragon, an actor, director and writer most familiar from his disembodied, teal-faced role of Jambi the Genie on Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee’s Playhouse, died April 3 in Palm Springs of unknown causes. He was 66.

Paragon’s death, only recently made public, was confirmed to Deadline by the Riverside County Coroner.

In addition to his work with frequent collaborator Reubens — he also voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl on Playhouse — Paragon is remembered by Seinfeld fans as Cedric, half of the couple Bob and Cedric who appeared occasionally to browbeat Michael Richards’ Kramer. In the famous episode “The Soup Nazi,” Paragon and actor Yul Vazquez, as Bob, stole an armoire that Kramer was guarding for Elaine (Julia-Louis Dreyfus).

Paragon was, like Reubens, a member of the Los Angeles comedy troupe the Groundlings, and contributed to the writing of early stage performances featuring the Pee-wee Herman character. The Jambi character carried over from the...

John Paragon, the actor and comedian best known for playing Jambi the Genie on “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” has died at age 66.

TMZ reported Paragon passed away in April of unknown causes.

Paragon got his start performing improv at The Groundlings alongside classmates like Paul Reubens, Phil Hartman and Cassandra Peterson, all of whom he would work with later in his career.

He made his TV debut in “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” a stage show developed by Reubens in 1980. Paragon reprised his role as the sassy genie Jambi in “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which ran from 1986-90, and he even wrote and directed several episodes of the beloved children’s show. In 1988, he and Reubens co-wrote “Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special,” which earned an Emmy nomination for Best Writing in a Children’s Special.

Paragon returned to his performance as Jambi in the Broadway adaptation of the “Pee-wee Herman” stage show in 2010.

Paragon’s other TV credits include “Cheers,...

Josh and Benny Safdie, the filmmaking duo behind “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems,” are producing a documentary about Paul Reubens for HBO.

HBO announced on Thursday that the two-part documentary, which is currently untitled, will center on the life of Reubens, the longtime comedian and actor best known for creating the Pee-wee Herman character. The premium cabler’s logline for the project reads:

A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts, the Paul Reubens documentary traces the life of the imaginative artist behind one of pop culture’s most celebrated and unlikely icons: Pee-wee Herman.

“I’ve been working with HBO since they were called Home Box Office! I’m honored and excited to continue my long history there. I love HBO, but I’m not going to marry them,” Reubens said in a statement.

The project is an HBO Documentary Films and Elara production, directed by Matt Wolf (“Spaceship Earth...

A two-part documentary about Paul Reubens, Aka Pee-wee Herman, is headed to HBO with producers Josh and Benny Safdie. The doc is described as a “kaleidoscopic portrait” of Reubens, who started his career as an improv comedian and stage actor before striking it big with a sold-out stage show called The Pee-wee Herman Show. Reubens translated the […]

The post Paul Reubens Documentary Produced by the Safdie Brothers Headed to HBO appeared first on /Film.

Warner Animation Group is developing an animated musical based on the Michael Morpurgo children’s book “Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz,” according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

“Aladdin” screenwriter John August wrote the script based on the HarperCollins book, which is described as an uplifting take on “The Wizard of Oz” that centers on Dorothy’s pet dog, Toto.

Alex Timbers, a veteran Broadway director who co-created and executive produced “Mozart in the Jungle,” is set to direct. Additionally, Derek Frey will produce, and Jared Stern is executive producing.

Along with “Aladdin,” August’s credits include “Big Fish,” “Dark Shadows,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and the first two “Charlie’s Angels” movies for Sony. August also wrote and directed fantasy film “The Nines,” which starred Ryan Reynolds. August is repped by Verve and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman.

Exclusive: Two-time Tony nominated director Alex Timbers is closed to direct a feature musical adaptation of the Harper Collins Michael Morpurgo book Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros..

John August penned the script which is loosely based on the book, which tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of Dorothy’s loyal companion, and as we all know, they’re not in Kansas anymore.

Jared Stern is serving as executive producer, and Derek Frey, who previously ran Tim Burton Productions and was Burton’s producer, will produce.

Timbers is in Tony contention this year for directing the Moulin Rouge! musical and when the shutdown occurred had Beetlejuice on Broadway as well. In addition he received a creative credit on David Byrne’s American Utopia.

Timbers’ theater credits include Disney Theatrical’s Peter and the Starcatcher which won...

What should you get a Pee-Wee Herman fan for the holidays? How about a subscription to Netflix, which is nearing a deal to distribute the Pee-Wee Herman movie that Judd Apatow is producing, multiple individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

While a Netflix spokesperson cautioned that there’s no deal in place yet, an individual close to the project told TheWrap “it moved to Netflix a gazillion months ago.”

The Pee Wee Herman movie had previously been set up at Universal, though a studio spokesperson told TheWrap the “Pee-Wee project is no longer with Universal.”

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For the record, Lola Kirke wants you to know that the most nauseating way to play the oboe is with a hangover. “It’s suffocating,” the actress says with a laugh. “You basically use all the air in your body, and you feel like you want to vomit.”

Kirke knows this from experience. As she was preparing to play Hailey Rutledge, the oboe-tooting twentysomething lead role in the series Mozart in the Jungle, the first season of which premieres in full on Amazon Instant tomorrow, she learned the hard way...

Paul Reubens is dusting off his red bow-tie once more for a film revival of his iconic character Pee-wee Herman. The comedian confirmed the Judd Apatow-produced film was moving forward during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, but wasn't able to divulge too many details just yet. "There is going to be one," Reubens said. "And I was hoping I could make this huge announcement tonight, but it's a week away, I think, from being announced."

Reubens, however, did say that production on the...

While Amazon's first slate of original series mostly fizzled—perhaps because it still hasn't picked up Onion News Empire—the online giant is resolute in its plans to do to the television industry what it's currently doing to the publishing industry, picking up three new comedy pilots. The first is from cousins Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, plus Broadway writer/director Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-Wee Herman Show), and explores the seamy world of sex and drugs backstage at the symphony. Mozart In the Jungle will be based on the memoir of oboist Blair ...

Get ready to reacquaint yourselves with Chairry, Pterri and Pee-wee Herman himself, children of the '80s!

Paul Reubens, who played the titular star of "Pee-wee's Playhouse" in the latter half of the 1980s, opened up about a revival of the hit children's series in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times.

The actor, who's now 60, told the La Times that there's a new Pee-wee TV show on tap, "potentially though not necessarily an update on 'Pee-wee’s Playhouse,'" according to the paper. Reubens wouldn't provide details about the new Pee-wee program, but said an announcement is “imminent” about the show, which will air in 2014.

“Short of something unforeseen like the studio going out of business, I think it’s very likely both these projects will happen next year,” Reubens told the La Times of the show and of the long-awaited follow-up Pee-wee movie, which Judd Apatow signed...

With The Muppets... Again! currently filming, the Muppets are already looking ahead to their next project: a potential Broadway musical. On May 31, over 85 Muppets convened at the New Amsterdam Theater to put on a proof-of-concept show for Disney Theater Productions, performing existing material under the direction of Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-Wee Herman Show). Initial audience reaction wasn't terrific, as two unnamed elderly critics declared it “wasn’t half-bad—it was all bad!” before chortling to themselves. Nevertheless, Disney is confident it can overcome a host of obstacles, including drummer-oriented anger management, hiring an ...

Beloved Broadway producer Roy Miller passed away suddenly early Sunday morning, April 28, 2013 following a brief illness. Roy produced the multiple Tony Award nominated Broadway productions of The Drowsy Chaperone and this season's A Christmas Story The Musical. His other Broadway producing credits include West Side Story, Ragtime, title of show and The Pee-Wee Herman Show among others. He recently served as Producing Artistic Director of Surflight Theatre from 2010 to 2012 and also served as Associate Producer of Paper Mill Playhouse from 1991 to 2004.

New York — It's been a knockout in Germany. Now Sylvester Stallone hopes a musical based on his beloved boxing film "Rocky" will also be a hit on Broadway.

Producers said Sunday they plan to get "Rocky" up and punching at the Winter Garden by February following a successful debut in Hamburg last fall.

Based on the Oscar-winning 1976 film, the musical features a score by "Ragtime" veterans Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and a story by Thomas Meehan, who wrote "The Producers" and "Hairspray."

Originally written in English but translated into German for its world premiere and billed as "Rocky: Das Musical," the show is produced by Stallone and Stage Entertainment USA.

"The reason I think it has worked so well there and why I think it'll work on Broadway is that, yes, it's a story about boxing, but the real story is actually an intimate, powerful and gritty and...

The producers of Peter and the Starcatcher, the new Broadway hit written by Tony Award-nominee Rick Elice Jersey Boys and directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees Nicholas Nickleby and Tony Award-nominee Alex Timbers Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-wee Herman Show, have announced that a new block of tickets are now on sale for the seasons most Tony-nominated play. Tickets can now be purchased through September 30, 2012, via Ticketmaster and in person at the box office of the Brooks Atkinson Theatre 256 West 47 Street.

'Peter and the Starcatcher', a new play by Tony Award-nominee Rick Elice Jersey Boys, directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees Nicholas Nickleby and Tony Award-nominee Alex Timbers Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, began previews on March 28 with an official opening night set for Sunday, April 15, 2012 at The Brooks Atkinson Theatre. As we count down to the opening, Bww invites you to join Peter's online scavenger adventure for the chance to Win Tickets to the show But hurry, you have until Wednesday, April 4 to enter...

'Peter and the Starcatcher', a new play by Tony Award-nominee Rick Elice Jersey Boys, directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees Nicholas Nickleby and Tony Award-nominee Alex Timbers Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, begins previews on March 28 with an official opening night set for Sunday, April 15, 2012 at The Brooks Atkinson Theatre. As we count down to the opening, Bww invites you to join Peter's online scavenger adventure for the chance to win tickets to the show...