Paul Reubens
Known for
An inventive American comic actor and writer, Paul Reubens created the beloved man-child character Pee-wee Herman, a phenomenon of stage, film and television. Born in New York in 1952, he brought his gleeful, anarchic comedy to 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' (1985) and the series 'Pee-wee's Playhouse', and lent memorable voice and character work to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993) and 'Matilda' (1996). He died in 2023, a singular American performer whose whimsical, subversive creation left a lasting mark on comedy and popular culture.
Paul Reubens
43 Movies
36 Series
An inventive American comic actor and writer, Paul Reubens created the beloved man-child character Pee-wee Herman, a phenomenon of stage, film and television. Born in New York in 1952, he brought his gleeful, anarchic comedy to 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' (1985) and the series 'Pee-wee's Playhouse', and lent memorable voice and character work to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993) and 'Matilda' (1996). He died in 2023, a singular American performer whose whimsical, subversive creation left a lasting mark on comedy and popular culture.
Movies
Plays Lock (voice)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
1993
Plays Penguin's Father
Batman Returns
1992
Plays Jokey Smurf (voice)
The Smurfs
2011
Plays FBI Agent
Matilda
1996
Plays Jokey Smurf (voice)
The Smurfs 2
2013
Plays Raccoon (voice)
Doctor Dolittle
1998
Plays Waiter
The Blues Brothers
1980
Plays Derek Foreal
Blow
2001
Plays Fife (voice)
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
1997
Plays Francine's Crush
Quiz Lady
2023
Plays Spleen
Mystery Men
1999
Plays Amilyn
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
1992
Plays Max (voice)
Flight of the Navigator
1986
Writer
Plays Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
1985
Plays Edwin
Accidental Love
2015
Plays Screwy Squirrel (voice)
Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure
2013
Plays Irv (voice)
Scooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace
2013
Plays Dennis (voice)
Teacher's Pet
2004
Plays Buck LaFarge
Dunston Checks In
1996
Plays Albert
Meatballs: Part II
1984
Plays Howie Hamburger Dude
Nice Dreams
1981
Writer
Plays Pee-wee Herman
Big Top Pee-wee
1988
Plays Sir Terrence
Reno 911!: Miami
2007
Plays Pee Wee Herman / Desk Clerk (Groundling)
Cheech & Chong's Next Movie
1980
Plays Carny/Mime
Twilight Park
Plays Pinball City Proprietor
Midnight Madness
1980
Plays Frank Baker
The Tripper
2006
Writer
Plays Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee's Big Holiday
2016
Plays Arvid Henry
South of Heaven, West of Hell
2000
Plays Andy Kornbluth
Life During Wartime
2010
Plays Professor Spatz
Buddy
1997
Plays Johnson
Pandemonium
1982
Plays Pee-Wee Herman
Back to the Beach
1987
Writer
Plays Pee-wee Herman
The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway
2011
Plays Jack Chudnowski
Pray TV
1980
Plays Hermie the Elf (voice)
Rugrats: Babies in Toyland
2002
Plays Bennett Ferryman
The Final Moments of Karl Brant
2013
TV Shows
Plays Freaky Frankenstone
The Flintstone Comedy Show
1980
Director
Plays Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee's Playhouse
1986
Plays Pavel
TRON: Uprising
2012
Plays Freaky Frankenstone (voice)
The Frankenstones
1980
Plays Andrew J. Lansing III
Murphy Brown
1988
Plays JC Schiffer
Mosaic
2018
Plays Mr. Vargas
The Blacklist
2013
Plays Ivor (voice)
Minecraft: Story Mode
2018
Plays Dybbuk (voice)
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
2016
Plays Bat-Mite (voice)
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
2008
Plays Chuck Lafoon
Dirt
2007
Plays Elijah Van Dahl
Gotham
2014
Plays Self - Disguised Contestant
To Tell the Truth
2016
Plays Oscar Vibenius
Pushing Daisies
2007
Plays Reuben (voice)
Chowder
2007
Plays The Milkman (voice)
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
2014
Plays Louis
Ally McBeal
1997
Plays Russell
Everybody Loves Raymond
1996
Plays Pee-Wee Herman
227
1985
Plays Rick
Reno 911!
2003
Plays Dickie Nimitz
Mork & Mindy
1978
Plays Pinocchio
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
Plays Gerhardt
30 Rock
2006
Plays Gnome Ruler/Dancing Bug (voice)
Adventure Time
2010
Plays Weirdos' Lawyer
Portlandia
2011
Plays Pat (voice)
Bob's Burgers
2011
Plays The Moon
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
2007
Plays Paul (voice)
Tom Goes to the Mayor
2004
Plays Jet / The Bubble (voice)
The Groovenians
2002
Plays RX-24 (voice)
Star Wars Rebels
2014
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Quiz Lady
Full Filmography
Bob's Burgers
Pat (voice) · 1 episode
2022–2023
TV
Quiz Lady
Francine's Crush
2023
Film
The Crown with a Shadow
Oliver (voice)
2021
Film
What We Do in the Shadows
Paul · 1 episode
2019–
TV
Minecraft: Story Mode
Ivor (voice) · 5 episodes
2018–
TV
The Conners
Sandy Bitensky · 1 episode
2018–
TV
Mosaic
JC Schiffer · 6 episodes
2018–
TV
To Tell the Truth
Self - Disguised Contestant · 3 episodes
2016–
TV
Gigglefudge USA!
Self
2016
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paul Reubens still alive?
Paul Reubens passed away on July 30, 2023 at age 70.
What are the most famous roles of Paul Reubens?
Paul Reubens is best known for roles in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman Returns, Matilda.
How many movies has Paul Reubens been in?
Over a 55-year career (since 1968), Paul Reubens has appeared in 42 movies and 35 TV shows.
What was Paul Reubens's first movie?
The career of Paul Reubens began with The Brotherhood (1968).
What is Paul Reubens's most recent movie or series?
Paul Reubens's most recent release is Pee-wee as Himself, which premiered on May 23, 2025.
What TV shows has Paul Reubens appeared in?
On television, Paul Reubens has appeared in Gotham, The Blacklist, Adventure Time, DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Paul Reubens
1952-08-27 · Peekskill, New York, USA
Paul Reubens (August 27, 1952 – July 30, 2023) was an American actor, writer, film producer, game show host, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. In 1982 he began appearing in a show about a character he had been developing for years. The show, called The Pee-wee Herman Show, ran for five sold-out months, and HBO produced a successful special about it.
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. His feature film Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), directed by the then-unknown Tim Burton, was a financial and critical success and soon developed into a cult film. Its sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), was less successful. Between 1986 and 1990, Reubens starred as Pee-wee in the CBS Saturday-morning children's program Pee-wee's Playhouse.