Paul Reubens

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

As Pee-Wee Herman, he appeared in the films Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Big Top Pee-wee (1988), as well as the Saturday morning television series Pee-wee's Playhouse. In 1986, he was the voice of Max, the robotic controller of an alien spacecraft in the children's science fiction film Flight of the Navigator. For that role, he was credited as Paul Mall.

In 1987, Reubens provided the voice for RX-24, the RX pilot droid featured in the Star Tours ride at various Disney theme parks. The ride is still in operation. Other Star Wars materials have identified the RX-series as a product of Reubens Robotic Systems in his honor.

The Pee-Wee Herman character was essentially retired in 1991, after an arrest for indecent exposure led to Pee-wee's Playhouse being taken off the air. (It should be noted that, in return for a fine and a few public service announcements, he was not given a criminal record.) Since then, he has made several film appearances, credited as himself. In the 1990s and 2000s, he played memorable roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mystery Men, and Blow.

In 2002, Reubens was arrested again for possession of child pornography. These charges were later dropped, though he pled guilty to a separate, lesser charge of misdemeanor obscenity.