Pee-wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens' Net Worth at the Time of His Death

June 2024 · 4 minute read

Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens died in July 2023, leaving behind an incredible legacy as a children’s entertainer. While the public generally has good memories of Reubens, he had a scandal in the early 1990s that rocked his career. So, what was Paul Reubens’ net worth when he died? Here’s what to know.

What was Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens’ net worth when he died?

Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens left behind a serious legacy and accrued a hefty net worth throughout his lifetime. Reubens’ net worth was reportedly $5 million when he died.

Fans of all ages know Pee-wee Herman. Reubens first introduced the character in 1978 while working with an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe known as The Groundlings. As for the name, “Pee-wee” came from the harmonica brand, and Reubens knew a boy named “Herman” growing up. Reubens created the character as a “bad comic,” as the actor himself had trouble remembering jokes.

“I could never remember punch lines to jokes, so my character was a bad comic you would never expect to make it,” Reubens said of Pee-wee Herman, according to Groovy History.

In 1981, Reubens took Pee-wee Herman a step further and introduced him in The Pee-wee Herman Show, which later became a special for HBO. From here, Pee-wee Herman took off. Reubens starred in hit children’s shows like Pee-wee’s Playhouse from 1986 to 1990, and he starred in the films Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985 and Big Top Pee-wee in 1988. Reubens also started regularly appearing on Late Night With David Letterman in the ’80s, bolstering his career. There was something ambiguous about Pee-wee Herman that fans loved.

“To me, there was a conceptual aspect to Pee-wee,” Reubens explained, according to Groovy History. “If you thought Pee-wee was a kid, fine. If you thought Pee-wee was a man trying to be a kid, great.”

Reubens took on other acting gigs aside from playing Pee-wee Herman, of course. In 1980, he got his start in film by playing the waiter in The Blues Brothers, and that same year plus the following year, he appeared in Cheech and Chong movies. He also appeared in Batman Returns in 1992, Mystery Men in 1999, Blow in 2001, and notable TV series like 30 Rock and Black Mirror.

His scandals began in 1991 and deeply affected his career

Paul Reubens’ net worth likely suffered after a major career setback in 1991 following a scandal. He was arrested after exposing himself in an adult movie theater in Florida. The news and media attention devastated Reubens.

“Jeffrey Dahmer’s story broke the same time as my story, and for a week I was leading the news, followed by Dahmer eating people, boring holes into their heads and turning them into zombies,” Reubens said at the time, according to Variety. “It was … just so bizarre.”

“He lives with it every day,” actor William H. Macy, a colleague and friend of Reubens, said of the incident. “It’s affected everything he does. It haunts him. How could it not?”

“It was extremely damaging,” screenwriter Lucy Dahl also mentioned. “I’ve invited him to movie premieres and he won’t go because he’s so wary of the press, which has hurt him so badly.”

In 2002, Reubens hit another scandal. He turned himself in on charges related to child sexual abuse material possession. In November 2001, police searched Reubens’ home in Hollywood and seized his personal computer and belongings. By March 2004, charges against Reubens for child pornography possession were dropped if Reubens pled guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge. The Pee-wee Herman actor denied the claims, stating he collected vintage erotica.

This article was originally reported by Celebrity Net Worth.

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