“Quiz Lady”: The final role of Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens
Actor and comedian Paul Reubens, who died of cancer in July, will make his final film acting appearance in the fall’s Hulu release “Quiz Lady” – although not as his iconic alter ego Pee-wee Herman.
The R-rated comedy, directed by Jessica Yu, stars Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as estranged sisters who reunite on a cross-country trip to compete on a game show. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.
Reubens appears in a cameo as himself in the 20th Century Studios release, which also stars Holland Taylor, Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale, Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park and Will Ferrell.
As Pee-wee, Reubens starred in Pee-wee’s Playhouse from 1986 to 1990 and brought the popular character to the screen in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) and Big Top Pee-wee (1988).
The longtime child actor died on July 30 at the age of 70. His private battle with cancer was revealed at his death.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I have experienced over the last six years,” he said in a statement announcing his death and published on Instagram. “I have always felt great love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I loved you all so much and I enjoyed making art for you.”
Reubens’ career in film, television and comedy spanned four decades, during which he was so closely associated with his Pee-wee persona that the fictional Herman’s name, not his own, was given a star on his name Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988.
An appearance as Pat in Bob’s Burgers earlier this year marked another of his final roles.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Breakthrough Awkwafina stars in “Quiz Lady” as Anne, an introvert who reluctantly teams up with her chaotic sister Jenny (Oh) when her mother’s gambling debts lead to her dog being kidnapped.
To win the ransom, they plan to get Anne on their favorite game show and make her the quiz champion.
Reubens filmed his brief scene with Taylor last June, a rep for the actor confirms. He also filmed interviews for a still-dated HBO documentary project produced by Josh and Benny Safdie, first announced in 2021.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Yu (“In the Realms of the Unreal,” “Ping Pong Playa,” “Fosse/Verdon”) from a screenplay by Jen D’Angelo (“Young Rock,” “Hocus Pocus 2”) “). The film is produced by Oh and Awkwafina along with Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum for Gloria Sanchez Productions and Maggie Haskins and Itay Reiss for Artists First.
The Hulu original film was filmed in Los Angeles last year and will debut on the streaming platform on November 3rd.
