Remembering Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2023

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Actor Paul Reubens, who created the character Pee-wee Herman, died July 30 at age 70. His joyful, odd and subversive CBS TV show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, was loved by children and adults alike. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2004. We'll also hear from Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson, who appeared on his show.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and what to watch while Hollywood production is halted.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is Fresh Air, I'm David Bean Cooley.
0:03.3	Paul Rubens, the character actor and comic who created and embodied the charmingly childish
0:08.3	character of Pee Wee Herman, died of cancer Sunday at age 70.
0:13.0	On today's show, we remember Rubens and Pee Wee by listening back to interviews with
0:18.0	him and some of the cast members of his hit children's TV series, Pee Wee's Play.
0:23.0	Paul Rubens was an early member of the Groundlings, the L.A. Improv comedy troupe, whose members
0:35.5	also included Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, and Kristen Wigg.
0:40.1	He introduced his Pee Wee Herman character in 1977 and mounted a full-length on-stage
0:46.0	showcase, the Pee Wee Herman show, that was captured as an HBO special in 1981.
0:53.1	Rubens starred as Pinocchio in a wonderful episode of Shelley DuVall's Fairytale Theatre,
0:58.5	then got his big break in 1985 by teaming with young director Tim Burton on a movie called
1:04.8	Pee Wee's Big Adventure, which presented Pee Wee in all his childlike glory.
1:10.9	Whether he was playing with toys, riding his bike, or trading insults with a neighborhood
1:15.9	bully played by Mark Holton.
1:17.9	Marnie Pee Wee, little Francis.
1:22.2	Today is my birthday and my father said I can have anything I want.
1:26.1	Good for you and your father.
1:28.2	So guess what I want?
1:29.5	A new brain.
1:30.7	No.
1:31.7	Your bike.
1:32.7	Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.