Trivia

Was a good friend of Debi Mazar and credited her for ending the depression resulting from his 1991 arrest.

Credits Joan Rivers as his favorite mentor/best friend.

His father fought as a pilot during World War II, first for Britain's Royal Air Force and then for the United States Air Force. He was also one of the first pilots to fly in the Israeli Air Force.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6562 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on July 20, 1988.

He was friends with David Arquette who starred with him in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) and the late Robin Williams.

Early on, he had commuted from his home in Los Angeles, California, to New York City, New York, every week for one year, to film Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986), before the show moved to California, the following year.

Former member of the comedy troupe The Groundlings.

He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Blues Brothers (1980) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Was a contestant on TV's The Gong Show (1976) during the late 1970s.

Credits pioneer TV children's show host Pinky Lee as a partial inspiration for his character Pee-Wee Herman. Like Reubens, Lee also wore a tight checked suit and hat as part of his characterization.

In 2010 Reubens brought the Pee-Wee Herman Show to the Nokia theater in Los Angeles. On October 26, 2010the Pee-Wee Herman Show moved to Broadway, and continued until January 2, 2011.

His paternal grandparents were Polish Jewish immigrants. His mother was of German Jewish and Russian Jewish descent.

He never had a leading role in a full-length feature film, outside of his Pee-Wee Herman movies. However, Reubens performed as the Penquin's father in both Batman Returns (1992) and Gotham (2014).

He has one younger brother, Luke Rubenfeld, and one younger sister, Abby Rubenfeld, who is an ACLU lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee.

Spoofed in Eminem's song and music video "Just Lose It" (2004).

He was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in its crematory followed by an urn burial. His memorial service was held at Skirball Cultural Center on August 27, 2023. It would have been his seventy-first birthday.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 214-216. New York: Facts on File (1992) ISBN 0816023387.

Confirmed on his appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) that he is currently bringing back the character Pee-Wee Herman. (April 2001)

Has worked with Frank Welker in three films: Dunston Checks In (1996), Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and The Smurfs (2011).