Earlier this week, it was sadly announced that actor/comedian Paul Reubens passed away after a private battle with cancer. Reubens was most well-known for playing Pee-wee Herman in the cult classic TV show, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
Reubens originally created the character as part of his stand-up comedy routine before expanding it to television and film roles.
Rob Zombie commented on Reubens’ passing. As a teenager, Zombie worked as a crew member for “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
“So sad to hear about death of Paul Reubens. He was amazing,” said Zombie in a social media post.
“Back in 1986 I was lucky enough to be working at a place called Broadcast Arts in NYC when they announced they were doing his new show Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. It was a very unconventional set up with the playhouse built in a loft space on Broadway, not a sound stage. I can still remember his first day in the office. Everyone was waiting for Pee-wee to set off the elevator when the doors opened out stepped Paul looking exactly like his mugshot. He took one look at the live band playing ‘Tequila,’ rolled his eyes and walked straight into a meeting. Everyone was bummed. I thought it was hilarious. Only talked to him once. He asked me where the restroom was and I said ‘right over there.’ After the first season they moved the whole show to California and the rest is history.”
Zombie previously told The Joe Rogan Podcast that he enjoyed his experience working for the show.
“It was a cool job to have. But I was probably 19 years old. It was everything from delivering stuff to doing little crap work around the set. I don’t even know if I was a P.A. Whatever is just below a P.A. I’m not even sure it counts as below a P.A., but that was my job. Lowest rung on the ladder — that would be [the title I give myself for that job],” recalled Zombie. “It was cool, and I liked it. Besides being a fan of Pee Wee Herman, Phil Hartman was on the show. William Marshall, Blacula, was the King of Cartoons. There were all kinds of people I really liked on the show. So it was pretty exciting.”
