100 Fun Facts About Pee-wee Herman

Which comedian created and played Pee-wee Herman?

He was born Paul Rubenfeld in Peekskill, New York, in 1952. A Hollywood Walk of Fame star was awarded to Pee-wee Herman, not to him.

Pee-wee Herman was developed in the 1970s at which Los Angeles improv troupe?

Reubens spent six years there alongside Hartman, John Paragon and Lynne Marie Stewart, all of whom later worked on Pee-wee's shows.

Which future SNL star co-developed the Pee-wee character with Reubens?

Hartman also played Captain Carl on Pee-wee's Playhouse and co-wrote Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

What is Pee-wee's famous insult comeback?

The character was conceived as a comic who would obviously never make it, partly because Reubens himself could not remember punch lines.

Pee-wee's signature grey glen plaid suit was originally borrowed from whom?

The suit had been custom-made for Austin. The little red bow tie came from an acquaintance, and the persona borrowed heavily from 1950s kids' host Pinky Lee.

Which manic 1950s children's TV host was the main model for Pee-wee's checkered look and persona?

Lee's frantic, high-pitched act and checked outfits were lifted almost wholesale, along with the pale face, rouge and red lipstick.

Where did the name 'Pee-wee' come from?

'Herman' was the surname of an energetic boy Reubens knew growing up. He liked that the name sounded too real to be made up.

On which TV show did Reubens debut the Pee-wee character in 1979, appearing three times?

The following year he auditioned for SNL and was turned down, so he built a stage show around the character instead.

Pee-wee's first film appearance was a small role in which 1980 comedy?

He first appears as a foul-mouthed hotel receptionist and is later introduced by name approaching a comedy-club stage.

Which cable network aired The Pee-wee Herman Show as a special in September 1981?

The stage show had run for five sold-out months at the Roxy in Los Angeles. It was aimed at adults and full of innuendo later toned down for kids.

Which late-night host's show did Reubens credit with making Pee-wee a star in the early 1980s?

In a 1983 Letterman segment Pee-wee revealed his parents were Honny and Herman Herman and his sister Hermione was a Girl Scout.

Which famous New York venue did Pee-wee Herman sell out in 1984?

A year earlier the touring stage show had stopped at the Guthrie in Minneapolis and Caroline's in New York.

Which director made his feature debut with Pee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985?

He was hired on the strength of his short Frankenweenie. Its success, and Beetlejuice's, got him the job directing Batman.

Who scored Pee-wee's Big Adventure, beginning a long partnership with its director?

The Oingo Boingo frontman went on to score nearly every film by that director, and provided music for both Pee-wee movies of the 1980s.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure was loosely based on which Italian neorealist classic?

Reubens scrapped an earlier retelling of a children's classic after Warner Bros. gave him a refurbished 1940s Schwinn and he started writing about a stolen bike instead.

What was Pee-wee's script going to be a retelling of, before the bicycle idea took over?

Warner Bros. handed him a refurbished 1940s Schwinn on the studio lot, and the whole plot changed.

In Pee-wee's Big Adventure, a phony psychic tells Pee-wee his stolen bike is hidden where?

The punchline, delivered by tour guide Jan Hooks, is that the Alamo has no basement. It has since acquired two.

Which ghostly character gives Pee-wee a ride in Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

The ghost of a truck driver, whose face famously bulges into stop-motion horror, is a fan favourite. Escaped convict Mickey also picks him up.

Which song does Pee-wee dance to in platform shoes to win over a biker gang?

The bikers reward him with a motorcycle, which he crashes immediately. Reubens had performed the dance publicly long before the film.

Which heavy metal band appears in Pee-wee's Big Adventure during the studio chase scene?

Reubens and frontman Dee Snider had met at an MTV New Year's Eve party; the cameo shows the band shooting a video.

In the film-within-a-film at the end of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, who plays 'P.W. Herman'?

Morgan Fairchild plays Dottie in the Hollywood version. Pee-wee trades his story rights for the return of his bike.

Who plays Dottie, the bike-shop employee with a crush on Pee-wee, in Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

Daily, also known as E.G. Daily, later voiced Tommy Pickles on Rugrats. Diane Salinger played the waitress Simone.

What is the name of Pee-wee's spoiled neighbour and rival who has his bike stolen?

Mark Holton played him, and reckoned his shorter stature and affordability helped him get the part.

Which roadside California landmark features in Pee-wee's Big Adventure's sunrise scene with Simone?

The pair watch dawn from inside a concrete dinosaur; the location was near the Wheel Inn Restaurant, which closed in 2013.

Roughly how much did Pee-wee's Big Adventure gross in North America?

Reviews were mixed but the film became a cult favourite and convinced Warner Bros. to give its director bigger projects.

Pee-wee hosted which sketch show's 198th episode in November 1985?

Hartman wrote the 'Pee-wee Herman Thanksgiving Special' sketch and appeared as a pilgrim, a year before joining the cast.

On which network did Pee-wee's Playhouse air on Saturday mornings from 1986?

CBS gave Reubens full creative control and a budget of about $325,000 an episode, on a par with a prime-time sitcom.

What were viewers told to do whenever a character said the day's 'secret word' on Pee-wee's Playhouse?

The word was usually announced by Conky the Robot at the start of each episode.

Which future Matrix star played Cowboy Curtis on Pee-wee's Playhouse?

The show also gave early exposure to Natasha Lyonne and Sandra Bernhard, and S. Epatha Merkerson played Reba the Mail Lady.

What kind of being is Jambi, who lives in a jewelled box on Pee-wee's Playhouse?

John Paragon played Jambi and delivered the 'Mecca-lecca-hi, mecca-hiney-ho' incantation. Pterri was the pterodactyl and Globey the globe.

Which pop star secretly sang the Pee-wee's Playhouse theme, credited as 'Ellen Shaw'?

She admitted it in her autobiography. She sang it in a Betty Boop voice, and Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo wrote much of the show's music.

Which British studio, later famous for Wallace & Gromit, made clay animation for Pee-wee's Playhouse?

The show's design team also included artist Gary Panter and Nick Park himself.

What was Pee-wee's Playhouse's per-episode budget, unusually high for Saturday morning TV?

That was comparable to a half-hour prime-time sitcom. Reubens acted, produced and directed with full creative control.

How many episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse were made over its five seasons?

CBS and Reubens agreed to end it after the 1990-91 season, before the 1991 arrest, though many assumed the arrest caused the cancellation.

Which of these celebrities did NOT appear in the 1988 Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special?

The guest list also included Cher, Magic Johnson, Whoopi Goldberg, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Charo, k.d. lang and Frankie Avalon.

Pee-wee was the first guest on whose short-lived Fox late-night show in October 1986?

That same era he fronted an anti-crack public service announcement that became one of the most remembered of the 'Thrill Can Kill' campaign.

In Big Top Pee-wee (1988), what animal is Pee-wee's talking farm assistant Vance?

The Paramount sequel, directed by the man behind Grease, co-starred Valeria Golino and Susan Tyrrell.

Who directed Big Top Pee-wee?

It grossed about $15M against a $20M budget, squeezed by Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Coming to America that summer.

Which country singer-actor co-starred as the circus ringmaster in Big Top Pee-wee?

Penelope Ann Miller and Susan Tyrrell were also in the cast. Reubens co-wrote the script with George McGrath.

Where did Reubens first appear after his 1991 arrest, asking if anyone had heard any good jokes lately?

He got a standing ovation and replied 'Ha, that's so funny I forgot to laugh!' A phone poll for A Current Affair backed him 9 to 1.

Which streaming service released the third Pee-wee film, Pee-wee's Big Holiday, in 2016?

It premiered at South by Southwest the day before. Paul Rust co-wrote it with Reubens.

Which actor plays himself and befriends Pee-wee in Pee-wee's Big Holiday?

The Magic Mike star invites Pee-wee to his birthday party in New York, prompting Pee-wee to leave the town of Fairville for the first time.

What job does Pee-wee hold in the town of Fairville in Pee-wee's Big Holiday?

He works at Dan's Diner and has never left town. On the road he becomes a getaway driver for three bank robbers.

Which producer-director of Knocked Up worked with Reubens on the 2016 Pee-wee film?

Their collaboration was first announced in 2010; John Lee directed the finished film.

Pee-wee's revived stage show moved to Broadway in November 2010, playing which venue?

It featured 11 actors, 20 puppets and original cast members including Lynne Stewart as Miss Yvonne and John Paragon as Jambi. HBO filmed it.

Which Disney motion-simulator ride has Reubens voicing the pilot droid RX-24, 'Rex'?

The droid was later reprogrammed as DJ R-3X, house DJ of Oga's Cantina in Galaxy's Edge, with Reubens returning to voice him.

Under the name Paul Mall, Reubens voiced the ship's computer in which 1986 Disney film?

The pseudonym was a joke on shopping malls. He later voiced roles in The Smurfs films and Star Wars Rebels.

In Batman Returns (1992), Reubens played whose father?

It was one of a handful of small roles he took while lying low after 1991, along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Matilda.

Reubens played a flamboyant hairdresser-turned-drug-dealer opposite Johnny Depp in which 2001 film?

The Ted Demme film also starred Penélope Cruz. Reubens had returned to big-budget work in Mystery Men two years earlier.

In which Florida city did Reubens grow up, near the winter home of the Ringling circus?

He moved there at nine; the circus atmosphere sparked his interest in performing. His 1991 arrest also happened there, while visiting relatives.

What business did Reubens' parents, Judy and Milton Rubenfeld, run?

Reubens later became an obsessive collector of, among other things, lamps and fake food. His father had flown for three air forces in the 1940s.

Which two illnesses had Reubens been diagnosed with at the time of his death in July 2023?

He had kept his diagnosis private for six years, and apologised to fans in a posthumous statement for not going public.

Which Playhouse puppet usually delivered the day's secret word?

Viewers were told the word at the start of each episode and screamed whenever a character said it.

Which future Law & Order star played Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse?

Lynne Marie Stewart was Miss Yvonne and Phil Hartman played Captain Carl.

Where was the first season of Pee-wee's Playhouse shot in 1986?

Writer George McGrath called it a 'sweatshop'; production moved to Los Angeles for season two.

Which Devo member wrote music for Pee-wee's Playhouse while his band was on hiatus?

He later became a fixture scoring children's shows such as Rugrats; Todd Rundgren and The Residents also contributed.

What replaced Playhouse reruns on CBS after Reubens's July 1991 arrest?

The reruns had been scheduled to run until September 1991.

Which 1980 stage production introduced Captain Carl, Jambi and Turrlette the Toilet?

Those characters carried over to the CBS series; Clocky and Miss Yvonne were also born there.

How many times did Reubens appear on The Gong Show starting in 1977?

Four were a boy-girl act with Charlotte McGinnis called The Hilarious Betty and Eddie.

Which future Baywatch star was Reubens's roommate for a time at CalArts?

Katey Sagal and Michael Richards were also classmates; The New Yorker called him 'the wildest of a wild bunch'.

Which city does waitress Simone dream of visiting in Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

Her jealous boyfriend Andy disapproves; by the bus-station scene she has dumped him and is on her way there.

In Pee-wee's Big Holiday, where does Pee-wee fall down a well before Joe's party?

Joe hauls him out with a magnet hidden in his suit and tells him, 'Pee-wee, we are the party.'

What technique gave Pee-wee a youthful look in the 2016 film?

Reubens felt the character 'doesn't work' with age mixed in, and the cost had been his main worry when first discussing the film with its producers.

Which comedian impersonated Pee-wee on In Living Color soon after the 1991 arrest?

Reubens avoided talk shows for years afterwards, though Bill Cosby and Annette Funicello were among those who publicly defended him.

Reubens voiced which trick-or-treater in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

It came from the same director as Pee-wee's Big Adventure, while Reubens was keeping a low profile after 1991.

In a 2010 Funny or Die sketch, what gift from Steve Jobs does Pee-wee show the puppets?

The robot puppet sniffed that it looked 'like a giant iPhone'; by the end Pee-wee is using it as a serving tray for milk and lemonade.

Which Playhouse character presented old Golden Age animated shorts?

The excerpts were public-domain shorts slotted between the live segments, alongside new clay animation and chroma-key sequences.

Pee-wee served as a guest judge on which reality show in 2012?

Contestants rode Pee-wee-style bikes around San Antonio gathering ingredients to cook him lunch at a famous old mission.

On Sesame Street, Pee-wee's filmed insert had him reciting his own version of what?

Sesame Street returned the favour with a cameo on Playhouse.

In which song's video did Eminem dress as Pee-wee and copy his laugh?

Reubens had shelved the character through the 1990s; the 2004 video arrived years before his own stage comeback.

Where did the documentary Pee-wee as Himself premiere in January 2025?

It reached HBO and Max that May and won the 2025 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

Which late-night block began airing Playhouse reruns four nights a week in 2006?

It drew 1.5 million viewers a night, and TV Guide named the show one of the top 10 cult classics the following year.

Who beat Reubens to an SNL cast spot for the 1980–81 season?

Reubens said they were 'the same type of performer' and knew at once he'd lost; the snub drove him to borrow money and mount his own stage show.

Pee-wee's 1988 Hollywood Walk of Fame star was awarded in which category?

It sits at 6562 Hollywood Blvd. The character later added a TV Land Pop Culture award in 2012.

Which company was to make Pee-wee's sugar-free cereal, which flunked a blind taste test?

It was to be called Pee-Wee Chow. Reubens refused to endorse candy bars and hired security so kids never saw him smoking in costume.

Pee-wee's 2010 WWE Raw appearance climaxed with an in-ring confrontation with whom?

It won him a Slammy for Guest Star Shining Moment of the Year; at WrestleMania XXVII he confessed to being John Cena's number one fan.

In a 2011 SNL sketch, a drunk Pee-wee and Andy Samberg ambush which news anchor?

The pair also rode a mechanical bull before jumping the anchor in an alley with a chair.

In Pee-wee's Big Holiday, how many daughters does Farmer Brown press on Pee-wee?

He flees the forced wedding using a disguise kit given to him by a travelling salesman.

In Big Top Pee-wee, Pee-wee's serum-laced cocktail wieners turn the town elders into what?

The serum had first shrunk the hot dogs on his hot-dog tree; the rejuvenated elders happily watch the circus's American Farm show.

In Pee-wee's Big Adventure, what does convict Mickey claim he was jailed for?

Judd Omen played him and rejoined Reubens and the cast for a 2007 reunion screening.

The director's uncredited cameo in Pee-wee's Big Adventure is as what?

Milton Berle also appears uncredited, telling jokes to his entourage as Pee-wee sneaks onto the Warner lot behind them.

Which critic gave Pee-wee's Big Adventure a rare zero-star review?

His TV partner Roger Ebert skipped it on release, then put it at the top of his 1987 Guilty Pleasures list.

Reubens's only non-Pee-wee Emmy nomination came for a recurring role on which sitcom?

He appeared six times between 1995 and 1997 and was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Where were Reubens's ashes interred after his 2023 death?

He had staged a Big Adventure cast reunion at a screening on the same grounds in 2007.

Reubens's father was a founding pilot of which country's air force in 1948?

Milton Rubenfeld had flown for Britain's RAF and the US Army Air Forces in WWII, and was one of five Jewish pilots flying smuggled fighters in 1948.

Which headline ran on Rolling Stone's October 1991 cover story about the character?

The character made three Rolling Stone covers, from February 1987 to the December 1991 Yearbook issue.

Reubens's final appearance as Pee-wee was a 2021 radio hour on which station?

Made for $10,000 and produced by Jesse Thorn, it featured Jack White, Charo and the Playhouse puppets.

In Pee-wee's Big Holiday, which of the three bank robbers also goes by 'Pee-wee'?

The trio later hide among the Amish, where Pee-wee talks them into leaving money to replace a horse and buggy.

What did Paramount do to Reubens's deal the day after Big Top Pee-wee's opening weekend?

Reubens said he was also evicted from his office on the lot; the film took about $15 million against a $20 million budget.

Which song did Reubens insist the metal band play during Big Adventure's studio chase?

Dee Snider had pitched the band's two big hits and was delighted to be asked for the deeper cut instead.

Which ratings device did ABC blame for Playhouse crushing its preschool cartoons?

ABC's tiny viewers couldn't work them, while Playhouse's adult fans could; in 1988 ABC retooled toward all-ages shows.

In the original 1981 stage show, what does Pee-wee wish for from the genie?

He gives the wish away to Miss Yvonne, sulks, runs off, then gets it back and soars over Puppetland as 'the luckiest boy in the world'.

Set designer Gary Panter's punk character Jimbo inspired which cartoon figure's hair?

Matt Groening, a friend of Panter's, said so himself. Panter won two Daytime Emmys for the Playhouse sets.

Reubens played the race-sabotaging villain in a 2006 soapbox-derby video for which band?

Jack White's other band; White later turned up as a guest on Pee-wee's 2021 radio special.

What was Reubens's Native American lounge-singer character on The Gong Show called?

Reubens later called the act 'full-on racist' in Pee-wee as Himself, admitting he'd once thought it was his ticket to stardom.

How was Reubens billed in the end credits of Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams (1981)?

He had played Pee-wee by name in the duo's previous film a year earlier.

Which screenwriting manual did Reubens's team follow to structure the bike plot?

'On page 30 I lose my bike, on page 60 I find it,' Reubens said of following Syd Field's 90-page template.

Playhouse's opening prelude interpolates whose exotica cover of 'Quiet Village'?

Les Baxter wrote the original; the squawks and jungle sounds set up the theme sung by a disguised pop star.

Who played Hermit Hattie and Clockey in the 1981 stage show?

The future Ferris Bueller school secretary was a fellow Groundling and composed the show's 'Ballad of Hermit Hattie'.

Who presided over Reubens's 1989 mock wedding to Doris Duke's adopted daughter?

It was held at Shangri-La, Duke's Honolulu mansion; after the 1991 arrest Reubens hid out for months at her New Jersey estate.