Pee Wee Herman: His Dramatic Life (well, not THAT dramatic)

Paul Reubens (born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York), is a Jewish-American actor, writer, and comedian, best known professionally for his character "Pee-wee Herman".

Born in Peekskill, New York, on August 27, 1952, Paul Reubenfeld grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where his parents owned a lamp store. During winters, The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus called Sarasota home, and young Paul counted such big-top families as the Wallendas and the Zacchinis among his neighbors. When he was 11-years-old, he joined the local Asolo Theater, and during the next six years, he appeared in a variety of plays. After graduating from Sarasota High School in 1970, he attended Boston University for one year before deciding to seek his fortune as Paul Reubens in Hollywood, where he enrolled as an acting major at the California Institute of the Arts and accepted a string of pay-the-rent jobs ranging from pizza chef to Fuller Brush salesman. In the 1970s, Reubens performed at local comedy clubs and made four guest appearances on The Gong Show. He soon joined the L.A.-based improvisational comedy team The Groundlings and remained a member for six years, working with Bob McClurg, John Paragon, Susan Barnes, and Phil Hartman. Hartman and Reubens became friends, often writing and working on material together. Reubens wrote sketches and developed his improvisational skills. He also forged a significant friendship and working relationship with Hartman, with whom he developed the "Pee-wee Herman" character. Pee-wee was an eccentric man-child in a too-small grey suit, red bow tie, short buzz cut, and a perpetually giddy disposition. His distinctive "Ha Ha" laugh became the character's catch phrase.

Reubens auditioned for Saturday Night Live prior to Eddie Murphy's first season, but wasn't accepted into the cast. Instead, he started a stage show with the Herman character. His stage show was immortalized by HBO when The Pee-wee Herman Show was aired in 1981. In 1980, Reubens landed a small role in the film The Blues Brothers. He also appeared in Cheech and Chong's Next Movie in 1980 and Nice Dreams in 1981, and Meatballs Part II in 1984 with Misty Rowe.

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