S. Epatha Merkerson remembers late costar Paul Reubens: 'I will truly miss my friend'
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S. Epatha Merkerson has shared some heartfelt memories of her time working with the late Paul Reubens, hours after news broke that the beloved Pee-wee Herman actor died after a private battle with cancer.
"I always called him Pablo," Merkerson wrote in a statement to EW. "I will truly miss my friend." Merkerson made her TV debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse in 1986. She currently stars in the NBC series Chicago Med.
CBS/Everett S. Epatha Merkerson, Paul Reubens
"We met at my audition for Pee-wee's Playhouse," she recalled. "I did not know of the character…my nephew Sean told me who he was. However, when I walked into the audition I was introduced to a man named Paul Reubens in cut-off jeans, with long hair and a goatee. He looked like a 60s reject! I think Paul saw the confusion on my face and he teased me all through the audition."
She continued: "When I left there I thought, 'I'll never get that job!' I couldn't concentrate, he kept making me laugh! Well, fast forward to the first day of shooting, he came over to me in costume and I realized then that he knew all along that I had NO idea who Pee-wee Herman was. We became fast friends. I'm gonna miss you, Pablo!" Merkerson also looked back fondly on her first day on set with Reubens for Pee-wee's Playhouse as well as the Emmy party the pair attended for one of the series' multiple Daytime Emmy wins.
Peter Kramer/Getty S. Epatha Merkerson, Paul Reubens
Reubens' death was announced on Monday afternoon. A representative for the actor shared a posthumous message to Instagram, admitting he had been diagnosed with cancer six years prior. "I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans, and supporters," he wrote. "I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."
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