Celebrities are taking to social media to pay tribute to actor Paul Reubens, best known for creating and starring as the beloved comedy character Pee-wee Herman. He died Sunday night at the age of 70 after a private battle with cancer. His career spanned from the stage to the screen, and he starred as Pee-wee in multiple films in addition to the children’s television series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
Tim Burton, who directed the 1985 cult favorite “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” paid homage to Reubens on Instagram, sharing a photo of the two of them together and writing, “Shocked and saddened. I’ll never forget how Paul helped me at the beginning of my career. It would not have happened without his support. He was a great artist. I’ll miss him.”
Singer Cher also paid tribute to Reubens, writing “Goodbye Paul” and following this with a quote from Shakespeares’s “Hamlet.”
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel wrote on social media, “Paul Reubens was like no one else — a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time. He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him.”
Singer k.d. lang wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Sweet rebirth sweet man. Beautiful joyous thing. I love you.”
Actor Mark Hamill responded to the message from Reubens that was posthumously posted on social media, in which he said, “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.” Hamill wrote on X in response, “We loved you right back, Paul…& can’t thank you enough for the lifetime of laughter! #RIP”
Former late-night host Conan O’Brien wrote on X, “No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens. Everyone I know received countless nonsensical memes from Paul on their birthday, and I mean EVERYONE. His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts.”
Director Paul Feig wrote, “This is devastating. Truly heartbreaking. Paul was such a comedy genius. From his Letterman appearances to his TV shows and movies, he was so original and hilarious. And such a sweet man too. This is a huge loss for comedy. Thanks for all the laughs, Paul.”
Comedian and actor Dane Cook, who had worked alongside Reubens, wrote, “Paul Reubens was such a gifted performer and a nice person. He brought so much joy to people over the years as Pee Wee, my sister and I loved that character. I was privileged to work with him in a film and he was as great in real life as he was on screen. Tough news here.”
Rapper Kid Cudi paid tribute to Reubens as well, calling him his “hero.”
Read more tributes below.