Cause of death revealed for actor Paul Reubens
American actor Paul Reubens’ cause of death has been revealed following his death in July of this year.
According to his death certificate obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Reubens died from acute hypoxic respiratory failure. The condition occurs when the respiratory system is shut down to the extent that it cannot provide enough oxygen to the body.
Reubens, who was best known for his comedic persona Pee-wee Herman, died earlier this year at the age of 70. In the original announcement, Reubens’ representatives confirmed that he was privately battling two types of cancer immediately prior to his death.
“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor,” the official statement for Reubens’ death read. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit”.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens wrote before 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”.
Reubens originally created the character of Pee-wee Herman with fellow comedian Phil Hartman while the two were performing together with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings in the late 1970s. Herman was the central character in two major Hollywood films, 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and 1988’s Big Top Pee-wee.
In 1986, Reubens brought the character to television for the programme Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which ran for five seasons on CBS. Reubens also appeared in roles outside of the Pee-wee persona, including features in films like Batman Returns and Blow, shows like 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, and the music video for The Raconteurs’ ‘Steady, As She Goes’.
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