A star in his own name. Paul Reuben’s net worth reflects all the successes as Pee-wee Herman and troubles he had during his lifetime.
The actor died on July 30, 2023. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” wrote Reubens’ estate in the caption. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”
So what was Paul Reubens’ net worth? Read more to find out.
What was Paul Reubens’ net worth?
What was Paul Reubens’ net worth? Paul Reubens’ net worth was estimated to be $5 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Reubens launched into stardom with his character Pee-wee Herman. The Pee-wee Herman Show was a stage production centered on a fictional character he had been developing for years and ultimately landed him a deal with HBO.
In 1998, Reubens starred in the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, which was released in 1985. The film was a commercial and critical success and to this day, on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 87 percent of 46 critics gave it a positive review, with an average rating of 7.85/10. His TV series Pee-wee’s Playhouse earned 22 Emmy Awards during its run and Reubens was nominated for an impressive 14 Emmy Awards.
He talked about the character’s purpose with Paul Rudd in an Interview article. “Honestly, most questions that are asked of me about Pee-wee Herman I don’t have a clue on. I’ve always been very careful not to dissect it too much for myself. I love when other people do, but it takes some of the fun out of the work when I have to start figuring out how Pee-wee Herman ticks,” he said. “I never viewed the adult “version” of the show, which was done at midnight and was an homage to ’50s children’s television shows, as solely for adults. I tried to make it so that the act carried over into the version that wound up on CBS on Saturday mornings. And if a kid had seen the original version and caught something in the Saturday morning version, he might be able to laugh at something dirty because he caught the reference. And if a kid didn’t know, it flew right over his head. I always designed things to be double entendres so it could be appreciated either way.”
Other than his playing his most famous role, he played a drug-dealing hairdresser in the 2001 movie “Blow,” alongside Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp to critical acclaim. His TV credits included appearances on 30 Rock, The Blacklist, and Gotham.
In 1991, he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater, which became somewhat of a popular punchline. But a decade later, Reubens was arrested again—this time for possession of child pornography. His lawyer argued that a tape seized in another case had been mistakenly included in the evidence against Reubens, and three years later, the child pornography charge was dropped, with Rubens pleading guilty to a charge of obscenity instead.
Even at 70, Reubens still continued to make his character part of him throughout his life. “It dawned on me that I could actually become Pee-wee Herman,” he says. “I could do something that was conceptual art, and the only person who would really know it was conceptual was me.”
He continued, “People have argued I’ve done everything consciously or unconsciously to destroy [the character],” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “But it’s the brand that won’t die. It’s still around.”