Comedy world figures Natasha Lyonne, Jimmy Kimmel and Paul Feig were among those paying tribute to “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” creator and star Paul Reubens Monday after his estate announced his passing that morning. Reubens died after a six-year private battle with cancer.
Tim Burton, who directed “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” said he was “shocked and saddened” by the news. “I’ll never forget how Paul helped me at the beginning of my career. It would not have happened without his support. He was a great artist. I’ll miss him.”
“Paul Reubens was like no one else — a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time,” Jimmy Kimmel tweeted. “He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him.”
“Love you so much, Paul. One in all time,” wrote Natasha Lyonne, who acted on “Pee-Wee’s” as one of her first screen credits in 1986. “Thank you for my career and your forever friendship all these years and for teaching us what a true original is.”
“Freaks and Geeks” creator and “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig also tweeted a tribute to the comedian.
“This is devastating. Truly heartbreaking. Paul was such a comedy genius,” Feig wrote. “From his Letterman appearances to his TV shows and movies, he was so original and hilarious. And such a sweet man, too. This is a huge loss for comedy. Thanks for all the laughs, Paul.”
Carl Weathers, meanwhile, remembered him as “one of the nice guys.”
“Pee-Wee Herman has ridden off to heaven. RIP Paul Reubens. Thank you for giving us Pee-Wee,” he tweeted. “You made yours truly a fan and you were one of the nice guys.”
“Goodnight sweet prince,” Cher wrote. “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Read on for more tributes to the one-of-a-kind actor:
