Acclaimed comedian Paul Reubens dies at 70

Paul Reubens, best known for his role as Pee-wee Herman in the comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure, has died of cancer at the age of 70. The news was reported on the Facebook page of the social media platform.

"Last night we said goodbye to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character, Pee Wee Herman, entertained generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in spreading kindness," the obituary read.

Reubens first played the character on The Pee-Wee Herman Show in the early 1980s and quickly gained success and a loyal fan base. In 1985, Tim Burton directed the Pee-Wee Adventures standalone film. The film was a huge success. Although the sequel Big Top Pee-Wee was less successful, he continued to entertain children on CBS' Pee-Wee's Playhouse.

However, in 1991, Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure in a Florida movie theater, which attracted widespread media attention and completely changed the public's perception of him and his beloved character. This caused the project to be delayed until 1999 when he reappeared in films such as Mystery Corps and Drugs, and was interviewed as himself.

Despite the challenges, Reubens has made guest appearances on numerous shows and films since 2006. In 2010, Reubens wowed audiences again with his success on Broadway with The Pee-wee Herman Show. In 2016, he teamed up with Netflix for Pee-wee's Day Off, reprising his iconic role.