Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens Dead at 70 After Private Cancer Battle

Hollywood is mourning the loss of a beloved star.

Actor Paul Reubens, who portrayed the character Pee-wee Herman, died on July 30 after a private health battle. He was 70.

"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," a message, posted to his Instagram and Facebook pages July 31, read. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."

"A gifted and prolific talent," the note continued, "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." 

In the comments of the heartbreaking Instagram announcement, many fans and fellow stars paid tribute to Reubens, including actress D'Arcy Carden who responded with three heart emojis.

Model Karen Elson also commented, "Oh Paul. My heart breaks."

"Thank you for the joy," she continued, "the laughs and making me smile on my birthday with your sweet messages without fail every year."

After debuting Pee-wee Herman in the late '70s, Reubens continued to capture the hearts of audiences around the world for many years.

In Feb. 2015, after more than two decades away from the big screen, Reubens and producer Judd Apatow announced Pee-wee Herman's return for Pee-Wee's Big Holiday.

"It's a road-trip movie across the country. It's very similar in style and tone to Pee-wee's Big Adventure. But it's not about a bicycle," he told Entertainment Weekly at the time. "I never really thought of Big Adventure as a family movie, but I didn't try to make an adult movie or a kid movie. We wanted to make something that appealed to a wide age range, and I think that's the case with this movie also."

"It's been really really gratifying and exciting, and it's kept me going," he added. "The kid's show went back on the air on Netflix right before Christmas. I did not realize the show being on Netflix would be like being back on television. Every day I get hundreds of notes from people on Facebook and Twitter, all over the place, 'My 3-year-old, my 4-year-old...' and that's super exciting to think that kids are going to see it now who didn't know about it before."