PAUL REUBENS : THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Monday morning – and another celebrity death. But this one REALLY hurt. Paul Reubens has been around since I started writing Hollywood gossip and he was always special. His character Pee Wee Herman had a singular appeal for people our age who loved flea markets and anything vintage. We had friends in common and often attended the same events and parties -he was not only smart, but a funny and sweet person. Even with ME – a tabloid journalist! We all loved his Pee Wee movies and TV shows. I sensed that he wanted to establish himself as a character actor (like the guy he played in Blow with Johnny Depp) but his adoring fans would not let him grow out of Pee Wee Herman. I felt bad when that awkward scandal damaged his career, but always knew he was a good guy and I never wrote a negative word about him. A terrible loss…
Photo: Bodybuilder Joe Manganiello, Paul’s costar in Pee Wee’s Big Holiday (2016) had this magazine cover created as a joke