Paul Reubens dies at 70: His most iconic roles as Pee-wee Herman and more

“I know you are, but what am I?" That was one of Pee-wee Herman’s trademark comebacks to bullies and bossy people during his meteoric run as a 1980s pop culture phenomenon.

But who was Paul Reubens, the actor who played Pee-wee and whose death from cancer at 70 was confirmed Monday on his Instagram page?

Was he the world’s most unlikely children’s TV star whose comedy was embraced by grown-up baby boomers and adolescent Gen Xers alike? Or a gifted performer whose legal issues grabbed headlines at the height of his popularity?

Both, it turns out. On the screen, Reubens was the whimsical, immature, oddball character with the red bow tie and tight gray suit who made an art form out of inventively subversive silliness.

Off the screen, he stirred controversy in 1991 by pleading no contest to charges of indecent exposure at an adult movie theater. Years later, he received three years of probation for a misdemeanor obscenity charge involving photos of minors, according to NBC News.

Amid his ups and downs and, recently, through some of his six-year private battle with cancer, Reubens kept on working, providing voices for animated series and guesting on prime-time series. He even made another Pee-wee Herman movie in 2016, a reminder that even though Reubens himself had aged, the character was timeless.

Here are some essential roles of the man whose posthumous messages to fans said in part: "I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."

'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' (1985)

This was the movie that sent Pee-wee on a cross-country trip to find his stolen beloved bicycle and introduced most of America to a character that Reubens created while at the Groundlings improv troupe. If you remember the lady truck driver Large Marge, or Pee-wee dancing on a bar top to “Tequila,” or Jan Hooks as a tour guide at the Alamo, you, too, have had this surreal epic directed by Tim Burton seared into your memory.

'Pee-wee's Playhouse' (1986-1990)

Winning multiple Emmys and drawing viewers from a vast age range, the Saturday-morning TV show depicted Pee-wee’s gentle, fantastical world. Here, inaminate objects came to life through characters like Clocky and Chairy and future stars like Laurence Fishburne (as Cowboy Curtis) and Detroit’s own S. Epatha Merkerson (as Reba the Mail Lady) had a blast in co-starring roles. In the words of Jambi the Genie, “Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney ho!”

'Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse' (1988)

As cherished by some hipsters as “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” this off-the-wall special featured appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Cher, Whoopi Goldberg, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Charo and a fabulous techno version of “Little Drummer Boy” by Grace Jones. The big dilemma here: Would Pee-wee ever get a present that wasn’t fruitcake?

'Batman Returns' (1992)

Reubens reunited with Tim Burton to play the wealthy father who rejected his child, the Penguin (Danny DeVito), forcing him to live in the sewers of Gotham.  More than 20 years later, Reubens again would play the Penguin’s pop in the Fox series “Gotham.”

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'Mystery Men' (1999)

In this Ben Stiller vehicle about superheroes with weird, sometimes gross powers, Reubens was the Spleen, who had an ability to pass gas with super-precise aim. Pee-wee, never one for cheap laughs, would’ve rolled his eyes at the idea.

'Blow' (2001)

Johnny Depp portrayed drug smuggler George Jung in this flashy, trashy look at the cocaine trade that featured Reubens as George’s associate, Derek Foreal, one of the darker, sadder roles he played.

The Raconteurs 'Steady As She Goes' video (2006)

Reubens got to wear a villainous moustache as he appeared in this second video version of the hit by Jack White’s rock band, which involves a bizarre soap box derby that Pee-wee would have appreciated.

'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' (2016)

The third film in a trilogy (there also was “Big Top Pee Wee” in 1988), this Netflix revival has Pee-wee becoming friends with actor Joe Manganiello of "Magic Mike" fame (playing himself) and trekking to New York City, with plenty of crazy mix-em-ups along the route.

"What We Do in the Shadows' (2019)

In a star-studded episode of FX’s priceless vampire parody, Reubens joined Tilda Swinton and Dave Bautista, among others, in doing an unexpected cameo. It was a nice follow-up to his role as Amilyn, an unconventional vampire who was the prime antagonist in the 1992 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie.

Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Paul Reubens dies at 70: His most iconic roles in film, TV