For almost 20 years (but just 8 seasons and some movies), Reno 911! has been cracking us up. The creators and core cast members, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenny-Silver, and Robert Ben Garant, all started on MTV's The State (along with late-season cast member Joe Lo Truglio), clearly used all their connections to bring in both up-and-coming comedians at the time (like Zach Galifianakis) and established superstars (like Kenny Rogers and Paul Reubens). Here is a list of actors who you may have forgotten played roles in the classic comedy.

Zach Galifianakis

Before he became a household name in The Hangover series, for which he delivered many of the funniest lines in the movie, Zach Galifianakis was a semi-regular contributor to Reno 911!. He played the role of Frisbee, a survivalist with a boatload of kids who lived out by the airport (and thought aliens were invading) in multiple episodes of the show in the early years.

Patton Oswalt

Comedian Patton Oswalt's career started with a slew of funny but small-ish parts in movies like Magnolia, Down Periscope, and Dodgeball. He first appeared on Reno 911! in the show's second season and went on to multiple appearances, playing multiple characters, including appearances in the two movies, Reno 911!: Miami and Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon.

Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens really needs no introduction. As Pee-wee Herman, he became a Gen X (and all the generations after) icon. Reubens, who died in 2023, played the amazing character Rick, who headed up his own "citizens' patrol" which cracked up audiences, and annoyed the members of the Reno Sheriff's Department.

Paul Scheer

Paul Scheer has made it a habit to star in some of the funniest shows of the last 20 years. Shows like The League, Veep, and Black Monday have made Scheer a household name. HE also played multiple roles in Season 6 of Reno 911!

Natasha Leggero

Natasha Leggero's first role came in one of too-oft forgotten fake reality show Joe Schmo 2 in 2004, the follow-up to the original The Joe Schmo Show. From there, she appeared in the reality show MTV's The 70s House. Leggero parlayed that into three appearances on Reno 911! playing different characters, mostly getting arrested.

Ryan Stiles

Ryan Stiles is certainly most well-known for delivering some of the funniest lines on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where he's been a cast member going back to the 1990s. He also popped up on Reno 911! as a police officer charged with training the idiots in the sheriff's department on how to go undercover in Season 5.

Jamie Lee Curtis

One of the most surprising cameos in the show's history came in one of the later seasons when none other than Jamie Lee Curtis appeared as Lt. Donna Fitzgibbons, a one-eyed, no-nonsense from Sparks Sheriff's department who Dangle brings in to prank the other members of the squad. She also shares Dangle's sense of fashion.

Keegan-Michael Key

One of the funniest recurring morons the Reno Sheriff's Department has to deal with is the "hypothetical criminal" played by the great Keegan-Michael Key. He appeared a bunch of times over the years as a character who comes with hypothetical crimes he definitely didn't commit. Somehow, he seems to keep getting away with the crimes.

Paul Rudd

The ageless Paul Rudd appeared in five episodes of the show in the final seasons of the original run. He played Guy Gerricault, a very unnerving Lamaze coach for Trudy while she's pregnant. He also appeared in the first movie, Reno 991: Miami as a completely different character.

Rachael Harris

After bouncing around Hollywood for about a decade, working regularly but never really starring in anything, Rachael Harris appeared in Reno 911! as Dangle's ex-wife. She's best known these days for her role as Linda in Lucifer.

Christina Applegate

Christina Applegate has an almost "blink and you'll miss it" cameo as the legendary Terry's wife. It's hard to believe Terry (Nick Swardson) would be married to anyone, especially someone who looks like Christina Applegate.

Dwayne Johnson

There isn't a bigger star on the planet than Dwayne Johnson. The Rock, as he was known in wrestling, seems to have endless energy, with movies starring him being constantly released. One such movie is the first one from this franchise, Reno 911!: Miami, where he plays a cartoonish SWAT team leader. It's a role that suits him perfectly, of course.

Ron White

Stand-up comic Ron White is one of the funniest comedians around and his character on Reno 911!, as a drunk pilot, is exactly the kind of role White was born to play. He's simply hilarious.

Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Before they played Charlie and "The Waitress" in Always Sunny In Philadelphia, real-life couple Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis played twins in a... disturbing...relationship in Reno 911!'s second season. The chemistry they are known for now was on full display in their one hilarious appearance.

Murray SawChuck

Fans of Pawn Stars will recognize Murray SawChuck (or Murray the Magician) as one of the experts Rick brings in when he needs to evaluate the value of a magic prop. He's also well-known for his stage show in Las Vegas. In his appearance on Reno 911!, SawChuck plays a magician who gets pulled over, and then pulls out a bunch of tricks, of course.

Nick Swardson

Without a doubt, the most popular recurring "criminal" on the show is Terry, played by the hilarious Nick Swardson. It's fair to say you probably haven't forgotten his unforgettable appearance across pretty much every season and movie from the franchise, but we had to include him on this list, of course.

Danny DeVito

Did you know that one of the "producers" of Reno 911! is the iconic Danny DeVito? On the show, he has appeared as himself, who is a producer of the fake show that the real show is mockumenting. How meta!

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is best known for playing the hapless Dean in the NBC sitcom Community. He's also an accomplished writer, earning an Oscar nomination for writing The Descendants, starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. He was one of the more "regular" recurring characters, Andrew, in the early seasons of the show, who was arrested, usually in a compromising position, a number of times. He appeared 15 times in total as the wacky character.

Michael Ian Black

Though he was never a full-time cast member of Reno 911!, Michael Ian Black, as a member of The State, is a good friend and regular cohort of many of the cast of Reno 911!. Black appeared in multiple episodes, playing multiple characters on the show, and in the movie, Reno 911!: Miami.

Ian Roberts

Ian Roberts was never part of The State, but he did cut his teeth in another legendary improv group, Upright Citizens Brigade, which he helped found with Amy Poehler, Adam McKay, and Matt Walsh. Heady stuff. He joined the regular cast of Reno 911! in the show's first final season in 2009.

Oscar Nunez

We all know Oscar Nunez from The Office and its sister show, The Paper, where his character, also named Oscar, is the lone crossover character between the shows. Before The Office, Nunez appeared in a couple of episodes in the first season as Captain Dwayne Hernandez. He appeared in a later season as "Spanish Mike" as well. He even popped up in the movie Reno 911!: Miami, as "Jose Jose Jose."

Diedrich Bader

At the same time that Reno 911! was a hit on Comedy Central in the mid-2000s, Dog the Bounty Hunter was a phenomenon on A&E. Naturally, the mockumentary about a police department had to mock the bounty hunter. Enter Diedrich Bader, famous for his roles in Office Space and The Drew Carey Show. Bader played "Tommy Hawk," modeled after the Dog (Dwyane Chapman), right down to the blonde mullet.

George Lopez

Every police department in every city has to deal with the mayor sometimes. When that mayor is a drunk, like George Lopez's character in Reno 911!, he can be maddening for the cops, but hilarious for audiences.

"Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic has the honor that no one else on Reno 911! ever had. The legendary musician and actor got to play a person from real life. Appropriately, it was another musician, Ted Nugent. Of course, it's a completely over-the-top satirized version of the Motor City Madman, but Weird Al's look is dead on.

Seth Green

Sometimes it seems like Seth Green is literally everywhere. This was especially true in the 2000s. Whether it was shows like Robot Chicken, which he also co-created, or Entourage, or, of course, Family Guy, or movies like the Austin Powers franchise and The Italian Job, Green was great. He was also hilarious in his Reno 911! cameo as the ridiculously mean boss of two sheriffs who were undercover as fast food employees.

Rainn Wilson

If we're honest here, Rainn Wilson's appearance in Reno 911! as a murderer taking the sheriffs on a wild goose chase feels like it could almost be his character from The Office, Dwight's brother, or cousin. It's honestly one of the funniest episodes of the whole series.

Debra Wilson

Debra Wilson is probably best known as the longest-serving cast member of MadTV, which included the first 8 seasons of the classic variety show. In addition to a ton of voice work in movies and TV, she's also known for playing Oprah Winfrey in the Scary Movie franchise, and for playing Dominatrix on three episodes of Reno 911! in 2008.

Brian Posehn

Yet another stand-up who played a great recurring character on the show is Brian Posehn. Posehn played Stevie the Coroner in a few episodes in the show's original run on Comedy Central. It's a perfect character for the comic, famous for his deadpan delivery. Who doesn't want a seriously funny, but deadly serious, coroner on a show like this?

Nick Krull

Another actor who plays the absolutely perfect role for his talents is Nick Krull. Krull plays an offensive shock jock who makes his name by saying the most ridiculous things. His take on Cinco de Mayo is as funny as it is offensive.

Scott Thompson

Like others on this list, Scott Thompson is a veteran of a legendary sketch comedy troupe, The Kids In The Hall. He popped up in the show's sixth season in two episodes.

Masi Oka

Masi Oka is most famous for playing the biggest hero on Heroes, Hiro Nakamura. That role earned him an Emmy nomination. He also played a more serious role as the medical examiner, Dr. Max Bergman, in the reboot of the '60s show Hawaii Five-0. Oka got to show off his comedic chops in a couple of episodes of Reno 911! as a Japanese translator.

Jeff Foxworthy

Even some of the biggest Reno 911! fans may have missed this very brief cameo. The legendary Jeff Foxworthy. Not only was it brief, but audiences never actually saw Foxworthy in the one episode in which he appeared in the third season of the show. The "redneck" comedian played Fast Eddie McClintock, the "fastest criminal in Reno, and we only very briefly hear his voice over his CB radio as he speeds away from the sheriffs in his black Trans Am.

Paul Reubens died at 70 in 2023 after a private battle with cancer, though his comedic talents are still fondly remembered. He's particularly iconic due to his alter ego, Pee-wee Herman. After the bowtie-wearing man-child character's lengthy hiatus, he returned one more time in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (which is streamable on Netflix subscription). The film paired the titular character with a new, very famous best friend, Joe Manganiello. Now, the True Blood actor is emotionally reflects on his late co-star and the “vivid” dream he had about him.

In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, Joe Manganiello plays himself, befriending the quirky Fairville resident who convinces him to go to New York City to attend his birthday party. The two characters’ bond is at the heart of the 2016 movie, and Manganiello described to THR that their real-life friendship was just as meaningful, saying the late actor once came to him in a “vivid” dream:

It sounds like Paul Reubens was an incredibly thoughtful friend who made sure to make you feel cherished on your most important day. Just hearing those comments about his commitments to remembering birthdays is enough to bring a tear to a person's eye. Given that information, it totally tracks that Reubens, who co-wrote the 2016 Pee-wee film, would have his character leave his small town for the first time to make it to a birthday party.

Hearing Joe Manganiello talk about that dream is also a bit surreal. It appears that even despite Reubens' death, his memory still remains within Manganiello's subconscious. I do like the notion of the late Batman Returns star pranking his co-star in his dream. Seriously though, the most meaningful friendships truly do leave a lasting imprint on the heart.

Shortly after news of Paul Reubens’ death broke, Joe Manganiello opened up about his dear friend, saying he was “one of the greatest comedic geniuses of all time." Manganiello also shared how Reubens fought for other “artists and weirdos.” The Spider-Man actor continued to tell THR about even more positive qualities the Primetime Emmy nominee and how they manifested on set:

That first-encounter moment Manganiello had with Reubens shows what kind of person he was. On set, the actor apparently still conveyed generosity while wearing his tight-fitting gray suit and belting out his distinctive “Ha ha!”

Before Paul Reubens passed away, he left behind one major project for HBO, as he put together a two-part documentary on his life. Joe Manganiello told THR he hadn't seen it at the time of the interview, but he's glad that it’s out there so that people can get to know who his buddy truly was.

Paul Reubens leaves a serious void, and one that likely won't be filled. While he is missed, like Joe Manganiello, we can remember and revisit his work and appreciate just how talented to he was. You can get to know the man behind Pee-wee by streaming the two-part documentary Pee-wee as Himself with a Max subscription.

As someone who grew up enjoying Pee-wee Herman, I was very interested to learn about the man behind the man-child, Paul Reubens, in Pee-wee as Himself. Director Matt Wolf’s two-part documentary, now available with a Max subscription, reveals many lesser-known aspects about the life and career of the comedian, who passed away at 70 in 2023 from lung cancer, including the one other performer who is most important to Pee-wee’s rise to prominence.

Unless you have already seen the doc, there is a chance you might not be aware that the creation of Pee-wee was a partially collaborative effort shared between Reubens and the late Phil Hartman. Just how did the beloved former Saturday Night Live cast member contribute to the character’s development, and why has his involvement gone largely unacknowledged for so many years? Let’s get into it.

Phil Hartman Is Pee-wee's Secret Weapon

As covered in Pee-wee as Himself, the character stems from Paul Reubens’ days as a member of The Groundlings, a comedy troupe that kickstarted the careers of many legendary performers, including Phil Hartman. While the basic idea for Pee-wee (a childish aspiring comedian) came from Reubens, who debuted in the gray suit and red bow tie in the late 1970s, he took his first steps toward becoming a true icon with Hartman’s help.

Reubens wrote the 1980 stage play The Pee-wee Herman Show (which was also filmed as an HBO special) with help from Hartman, who also starred in it as Captain Carl. They later collaborated on the screenplay for the now-classic ‘80s movie, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, with Michael Varhol, and Hartman reprised Captain Carl for the children’s program, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, at least for the first season. So, in essence, you could say that Hartman played a pivotal role in Pee-wee’s greatest successes but, like many of the greatest duos in show business, he and Reubens would eventually go their separate ways.

The HBO Doc Also Sheds Light On Phil And Paul's Complicated Relationship

Reubens explains in Pee-wee as Himself that when Hartman joined SNL, it marked the end of their professional and personal relationship for years. A later moment shows Hartman on E!’s The Howard Stern Interview, in which he mentions that they had been “estranged” for years at this time, partially because he felt Reubens cheated him out of fair credit and compensation for Pee-wee’s Playhouse. However, I am quite disappointed in how the documentary edits the 1998 clip.

In the full interview, which you can find on YouTube, Hartman admits that he never sought legal action against Reubens because he remained a great admirer of the performer and his talent. The star of the underrated ‘90s TV show, NewsRadio, also mentions that Reubens called him up to wish him a long-overdue congratulations for his post-Pee-wee success. I suppose those moments are left out of the doc because, at that point, it discusses Reubens’ 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater, and the editor wanted to keep the tension high.

Overall, I am thankful for Pee-wee as Himself, not just for the way it dives deep into Paul Reubens’ career highlights and career lows, but for the way it gives Phil Hartman his due as a crucial figure in the legacy of one of comedy’s most unique performers.

How does a person go about becoming a comedy legend? Well, one good way to begin your journey is studying the art with the Los Angeles-based improv and sketch comedy troupe, The Groundlings, which has proven to be a breeding ground for many of the funniest people you have ever heard of, including quite a few Saturday Night Live cast members. Take a look at some of the most esteemed Groundlings alumni who went on to rule at Studio 8H or elsewhere.

Maya Rudolph

In an op-ed for Oprah.com, Maya Rudolph described The Groundlings as her “graduate school,” where she “ate, slept, and drank improv and sketch comedy” for four years, and even learned how to use her singing voice for comedic purposes. That skill would come in handy for her impersonations of musicians like Beyoncé and, arguably, the actor’s single funniest SNL sketch in which she takes far too long (and explores various vocal ranges) to sing the National Anthem at the World Series.

Paul Reubens

The world would have never been blessed with the iconic Pee-wee Herman if not for the Groundlings, which is where the late Paul Reubens first developed the fun-loving man-child in the 1970s. The character was actually a collaborative effort with future SNL star and fellow member Phil Hartman, who also worked with Reubens and others on the screenplay for 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

Will Forte

Will Forte told Diablo magazine that, after feeling miserable at his job as a financial broker, he changed his career path by joining The Groundlings in the early 1990s. Around a decade later, he was invited to be on SNL, where he specialized in some really weird sketches like “Spelling Bee” and “Potato Chip.”

Melissa McCarthy

While never a cast member, Melissa McCarthy went on to become known as one of the best SNL hosts in the show’s history. The Academy Award nominee earned her sketch comedy chops while a part of the Groundlings, which is also where she developed the character she played in 2016’s The Boss.

Phil Hartman

In the same year SNL started, the late, great Phil Hartman was preparing for his own tenure on the series at The Groundlings. It was more than a decade later, in 1986, when he would finally become part of the cast, working the magic he learned taking classes with the troupe.

Lisa Kudrow

Years before playing Phoebe Buffay in the Friends cast made her a star, Lisa Kudrow was part of The Groundlings, studying improv under teacher Cynthia Szigeti. She was also part of a short-lived troupe called Unexpected Company with Conan O’Brien and was the only female member of the Transformer Comedy Troupe for a while. 

Ana Gasteyer

During her six years on SNL, Ana Gasteyer mastered multiple characters — such as Bobbie Mohan-Culp — and spot-on celebrity portrayals, from Martha Stewart to Celine Dion. The Happiest Season cast member developed her impeccable sense of humor while performing with The Groundlings.

Tim Matheson

Two-time Emmy nominee Tim Matheson is not thought of as a comedic actor these days but, lest we forget, one of his earlier major roles was Otter in National Lampoon’s Animal House. Before then, he was learning how to be a comedic actor by studying improv under The Groundlings.

Kristen Wiig

Many of Kristen Wiig’s funniest quotes originated from her time at Saturday Night Live. However, she spoke most of those lines while portraying characters that really date back to her time with The Groundlings, such as Target Lady and harsh movie critic, Aunt Linda.

Craig T. Nelson

Despite plenty of roles that are not much to laugh at — such as Steve Freeling in Poltergeist or Jack Mannion on The District — Craig T. Nelson can also put down “Emmy-winning sitcom star” on his resume for playing Hayden Fox on Coach. His comedic chops do make more sense when you learn that the Incredibles star actually would break into the business performing stand-up and became a Groundlings members in the troupe’s early days.

Will Ferrell

Improvisational comedy would become a staple of Will Ferrell’s post-SNL career, as many of the funniest lines from his most famous movies — including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby — are largely ad-libbed. The actor would develop this skill while performing with The Groundlings, which he joined in 1994 — only a year before being invited to audition for SNL producer Lorne Michaels.

Cassandra Peterson

You may know Cassandra Peterson better as Elvira, a character whom the actor would portray when presenting midnight movies on TV or in her own cult favorite movies. Peterson’s creation of the “mistress of the dark” originates from her time with The Groundlings, where she developed a “Valley Girl-esque” character who would later evolve into the “horror host” we all know and love.

Jon Lovitz

Most of the SNL characters that Jon Lovitz is most famous for — such as the self-obsessed Master Thespian and pathological liar Tommy Flanagan — actually never originated at Studio 8H. The actor and comedian first developed them when he was part of the Groundlings, which is also where he met his friend and collaborator, Phil Hartman.

Kathy Griffin

After seeing a live performance of The Groundlings, a then-19-year-old Kathy Griffin knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. She went on to join the troupe in the early 1990s before pursuing stand-up and becoming a more prominent figure with appearances in movies like Pulp Fiction and her Emmy-winning reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Laraine Newman

Being a part of the Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players in SNL’s infancy and portraying characters like Connie Conehead made Laraine Newman a comedy icon, but her prior background before hitting Studio 8H is particularly astonishing. After studying miming under Marcel Marceau in Paris in 1970, she became a founding member of The Groundlings when she moved to Los Angeles.

Jennifer Coolidge

Jennifer Coolidge’s road to becoming a renowned comedy icon has been a long one, having made her screen acting debut on Seinfeld in the early 1990s before playing “Stifler’s Mom” in the American Pie movies and winning two Emmy Awards for her role in HBO’s The White Lotus cast. At one point, she had the chance to perfect her skills as part of The Groundlings, whom she performed with for nearly a decade.

Chris Parnell

Before his memorable, eight-year tenure on SNL, Chris Parnell made his breakthrough into the business in the early ‘90s performing improv with The Groundlings for a number of years. These days, the actor is best recognized for his voice, which is also the voice of Cyril on Archer and Jerry on Rick and Morty.

Pat Morita

It may come as a surprise to some that, before his Academy Award-nominated role as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid movies made him an icon, Pat Morita got his start as a stand-up comedian. The L.A. native was even part of The Groundlings in the 1970s, around the time he landed his recurring role as Arnold on Happy Days.

Chris Kattan

Following in the footsteps of his father, Kip King, Chris Kattan became part of The Groundlings, which is how he met Will Ferrell and, with him, created the characters who came to be known as “the Butabi brothers” during their time there. Later, they both wound up at SNL where they introduced the dim-witting club-goers to the mainstream, earned their own SNL movie (A Night at the Roxbury), and the rest is history. 

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr is best known for his brief role in Pulp Fiction, his extensive voice acting career, and for becoming an original cast member on the hit sketch comedy series, Mad TV, where he played characters like Jaq the UBS Guy. Early on, however, the actor was actually part of a few different comedy troupes, including The Groundlings and Second City.

Cheri Oteri

One of the most talented members of the SNL cast during the mid-to-late ‘90s was Cheri Oteri, who is probably best known as Spartan cheerleader, Arianna. She was given the opportunity to join the sketch comedy series while she was part of The Groundlings, with whom she is still known to perform on occasion.

Mikey Day

Performing improv with The Groundlings led Mikey Day to become an original regular cast member on Nick Cannon’s improv comedy show, Wild ’n Out, on MTV in 2005. By 2013 — having acted and written in several other projects — he became a valued member of the SNL cast and its writing staff, for which he, Bobby Moynihan, and Seidell created the sketch that introduced the world to David S. Pumpkins, as played by Tom Hanks.

Heidi Gardner

Missouri native Heidi Gardner was working as a hairstylist in L.A. when she attended a performance by The Groundlings and became inspired to pursue acting. After working her way up in the ranks at the troupe and landing voice acting gigs, she was hired on SNL in 2017 and quickly became known as one of the show’s most dynamic performers.

Michael McDonald

The MVP at Mad TV has to be Michael McDonald (not to be confused with the musician), whose early days in comedy included performing improv with The Groundlings. In fact — as he recalled on Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening — Academy Award winner Faye Dunaway saw him at one of his shows with the troupe and enlisted his help in honing her comedy skills.

Julia Sweeney

Julia Sweeney’s most iconic contribution to Saturday Night Live is her role as a person of indeterminant gender known only as Pat. She would first invent the character — who later inspired a movie called It’s Pat in 1994 — while performing with the Groundlings, along with other famous characters of her own — including Mea Culpa.

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is one of the most accomplished comedy talents of his time, having stolen the show from his fellow Community cast members as Dean Craig Pelton and earned an Academy Award alongside his longtime writing partner Nat Faxon, for penning the screenplay for Alexander Payne’s 2011 adaptation of The Descendants. Rash actually first met Faxon while both of them were performing with The Groundlings in the early 2000s.

Taran Killam

Even before Taran Killam joined The Groundlings, he was already well-versed in show business — having made his acting debut in The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult, becoming a major presence on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show and even joining Mad TV for 2001-2002 season. In fact, it was not until two years after he was hired on SNL in 2010 that he officially retired from The Groundlings’ main company.

Wendi McLendon-Covey

Nearly a decade after joining The Groundlings in 2002, Wendi McLendon-Covey collaborated with fellow troupe veterans of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy as part of the Bridesmaids cast in 2011. Just a couple of years later, the comedian would begin to earn raves for her leading role in the hit ABC sitcom, The Goldbergs.

Michaela Watkins

Despite earning acclaim for her unique characters — most notably tech whiz Angie Tempura —  and hilarious celebrity impersonations of Barbara Walters, Hoda Kotb, and more, Michaela Watkins ended up lasting only one year at SNL before she was let go in 2009. At least her career since has proven to be very successful — let alone the fact that she can say she was a regular performer with The Groundlings for several years.

Jillian Bell

While she never made it on Saturday Night Live as a cast member, Jillian Bell did write for the show during its 35th Season, before going on to appear in Bridesmaids and star in the likes of Workaholics, 22 Jump Street, and Brittany Runs a Marathon. Years before those career milestones, the actor joined The Groundlings soon after moving to Los Angeles. 

Edie McClurg

Multi-generational audiences should recognize Edie McClurg from the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off cast as Ed Rooney’s assistant, Grace, who referred to Matthew Broderick’s title character as a “righteous dude.” Said famous line was actually an ad-lib, which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows her history with The Groundlings, which she performed with in the 1970s.

Tim Bagley

Tim Bagley is a comedian known best for his many notable recurring roles on series like Will & Grace and Monk. He first broke into the industry in the late 1980s as a performer for The Groundlings, whom he continues to perform with from time to time.

Whether or not you end up on SNL or even do something greater, The Groundlings is a great place for aspiring comedic actors to get started.

Some of our best horror movies have been centered around characters who just so happen to be legendary creatures of the night: vampires. And, because of the enduring popularity of these mythological bloodsuckers, not only do we also have a number of TV vamps, but many famous actors who’ve portrayed some version of the famed, usually-human-looking beasts. Here for you now are 32 actors who’ve played a vampire.

Eddie Murphy (Vampire In Brooklyn)

So many vamps have been seen on screen that even a comedy and action movie legend like Eddie Murphy has played one. The 1995 horror comedy, Vampire in Brooklyn, saw the star play the last member of a group of Caribbean vampires, who hits New York to find a mate so that he can continue his family line.

Tom Cruise (Interview With The Vampire)

Who could forget the 1994 film that gave us Tom Cruise as the captivating and cruel (And blond!) bloodthirsty fiend, Lestat de Lioncourt, from author Anne Rice’s legendary novel series, The Vampire Chronicles? Of course, it also gave us Brad Pitt’s tortured vamp, Louis, and made a star out of young Kirsten Dunst.

Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

While there are some obvious stars to add to this list, let us not forget that the cast of famous (and soon-to-be-famous) vampires in The Twilight Saga films was quite stacked. That roster included noted child star Dakota Fanning, who portrayed the villainous Volturi guard member, Jane, who was able to mentally create sensations of pain in those who she deemed worthy of punishment.

Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood)

Several vampire-focused TV shows have hit the airwaves over the past 20 or so years, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the HBO hit, True Blood. Many of its stars portrayed members of vamp-kind for most or all of the series’ seven seasons, but Evan Rachel Wood made an equally impressive (bloody) splash as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, during her recurring guest appearances in Seasons 2-4.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

Back to Twilight! It’s not worth mentioning this franchise without bringing up lead romantic vamp Edward Cullen, as well as the man who brought him to life in five movies, eventuall live action Batman actor Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that his love interest’s portrayer, Kristen Stewart, would have dumped Edward “immediately”!

Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In)

It’s possible that we don’t get creepier than kid vampires in movies and television shows, and that’s what we got with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Abby in the 2010 film, Let Me In. She befriends a young loner after moving into his apartment complex, but is (you guessed it) hiding nefarious purposes he could have never guessed, which end up taking his life in a most unexpected direction.

Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn)

This might be the shortest movie vampire appearance on the list, as 1996’s From Dusk Til Dawn saw Salma Hayek play the fanged exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, only for about five memorable minutes that simply cannot be forgotten once witnessed.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Undead life isn’t always filled with glamorous globe-hopping adventure, gorgeous mates who can’t resist you and other perks, at least according to 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, which concerns the rather mundane day-to-day lives of vampire roommates, of whom Taika Waititi’s uptight and nearly 400-year-old vamp, Viago, is among.

Theo James (Underworld: Awakening, Underworld: Blood Wars)

Another big screen franchise that depended on heaps of stars to populate its supernatural world is that of Underworld. Two sequels saw Theo James play the heroic vampire, David, heir to one of the main vamp covens, and lead Selene’s one steadfast ally during an important time in her journey.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Not many cinematic vampires are said to be based on a real person, but the one played by Willem Dafoe in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire is. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the real Nosferatu lead actor, Max Schreck, whom the crew begins to suspect is an actual vampire because of his behavior and the strange goings-on surrounding filming.

Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000)

Speaking of vampires who are based on real people…Author Bram Stoker based his Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, and Gerard Butler played yet another version of the ever-popular character in a film from, yes, 2000. This tale sees the ancient vamp accidentally awoken by a group of thieves who find and steal his highly protected coffin, which had been watched over by generations of the Van Helsing family.

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

A Marvel character that will soon have another portrayer when the upcoming Blade reboot finally begins filming, the original action/horror trilogy famously saw Wesley Snipes take on the vampire/human hybrid titular lead, who’s a nearly unstoppable vamp hunter bent on taking down all members of the species who bit his mother and infected him with their supernatural blood while he was still in utero.

Colin Farrell (Fright Night)

If a scary and suave undead night stalker is your type, look no further than Colin Farrell’s Jerry Dandrige in 2011’s remake of the 1985 cult classic, Fright Night. He may have to eventually do battle with a couple of teenagers, but he sure looks darn good doing it.

Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers)

A movie that takes a more science-fiction approach to a world overrun by vampires is the 2009 film Daybreakers, which sees Ethan Hawke play a vamp hematologist who refuses to drink human blood and is looking for a synthetic option to their usual meal of choice that will stop humanity from being wiped out by his more brutal peers.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

Again with Dracula? Why, yes! This time, Luke Evans plays a Vlad the Impaler who only becomes a vampire to have the strength, speed and ferocity to turn back an invading army in an attempt to save the people of his kingdom. Does it work out for him? Well, yes…and no.

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

There’s no mentioning the Underworld franchise without giving respect to the main heroine, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene. In the first film she’s a vampire looking to destroy the werewolves that killed her family, but she ends up uncovering a major secret about the two sets of creatures and falling in love with a human, instead.

Alicia Silverstone (Vamps)

This 2012 horror comedy sees Alicia Silverstone play Goody, an old vampire who tries to stay young and hip while helping her much younger bloodsucking buddy, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), get used to her powers as they try to abstain from the red stuff during their immortal and unholy (sorta) lives.

Pedro Pascal (Bloodsucking Bastards)

Ever wondered what working in an office that was slowly being overrun by vampires who care as much about the bottom line as they do about drinking blood would be like? Just watch Bloodsucking Bastards, where beloved The Last of Us cast member Pedro Pascal begins turning his employees into the titular immortals.

Jim Carrey (Once Bitten)

Jim Carrey’s first leading role came in this 1985 comedy, where he played a teen virgin turned into a vampire by an alluring, 400-year-old creature of the night, who seduced him so she could use his blood to keep her youthful appearance.

Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

In the 1992 horror comedy that eventually led to the long-running series of the same name, the late Paul Reubens starred as Amilyn, a vamp doing the bidding of a much more powerful bloodsucker who’s ruling his kind in Los Angeles.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood)

While HBO’s True Blood was positively filled with the undead, few of them made as much of an impact on audiences (and the lead, Sookie) as Alexander Skarsgård’s cunning and alluring (but sorta evil) 1,000-year-old Eric Northman. This also happens to be the role that really made Skarsgård famous.

David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel)

When it comes to popular TV vampires, no one can discount the reign of David Boreanaz as evil vamp turned heroic vamp (and then sometimes evil vamp again) Angel, whom he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with the first episode in 1997, through wrapping his run on the fifth season series finale of his own show, Angel, in 2004.

Sterling K. Brown (Supernatural)

Sterling K. Brown may best be known now for delivering heartfelt emotions as Randall Pearson on This Is Us, but for four episodes across Seasons 2 and 3 of the CW mega-hit, Supernatural, he played Hunter and dedicated vamp-hater-turned-vampire, Gordon Walker, to astounding, understandably cold-blooded effect.

Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys)

Even though Kiefer Sutherland was certainly a star on the rise by the time he starred in The Lost Boys in 1987, his part as apparent vampire motorcycle gang leader David cemented his leading man qualities and turned him into a household name.

Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II)

Sure, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best Rami Malek movies to watch, but let’s not discount his turn as the powerful (and ancient) Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II, one of the few creatures of the night in the franchise who can directly manipulate things, with his specialty being controlling fire, water, air and earth.

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Yet another actor you may have forgotten was fanged in the expansive Twilight franchise is Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. She took over the role of evil, vengeful vamp Victoria (who’s looking to kill Bella in retaliation for Edward killing her love, James) from Rachelle Lefevre, for the third movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive)

As one half of the very old vampire couple at the center of the 2013 dramedy, Only Lovers Left Alive, Tilda Swinton is a wife forced to visit the husband (played by Tom Hiddleston) she’s long been separated from once she realizes his lengthy undead existence has begun to bring him down, as she tries to force him to reevaluate the value of living forever.

Bill Nighy (Underworld, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans)

Every good vampire needs a parental figure to show them the ropes, and for Underworld’s Selene, that role was filled by Viktor, who was portrayed by Love, Actually star Bill Nighy. His Vampire Elder turned out to be more of a threat than the heroine ever expected, though, leading to some tense moments between Selene and her mentor.

Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula) 

Back to Drac! One of the most popular films about the character is still 1992’s Bram Stoker's Dracula, which saw eventual Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban star Gary Oldman play Vlad Dracula.

Christopher Meloni (True Blood)

Where there is one vampire there are generally enough to have a whole hierarchy among their brethren, and as with the series True Blood, sometimes we get to see what that could look like. In Season 5, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni portrayed the Guardian, Roman Zimojic, who led the Vampire Authority and (ostensibly) set the rules for all vamps. Many, however, didn’t agree with his desire to have his kind fit in with human society, which caused a lot of problems for the calm, determined and deadly when challenged leader.

Nicolas Cage (Renfield)

If you guessed that this is yet another Dracula story, well, you’re sort of correct. 2023’s horror comedy, Renfield, stars Nicholas Hoult as the count’s titular long-time familiar, who’s tired of helping him kill innocent people and all the abuse he’s taken from the being who gifted him with immortality, as well as super strength and speed (when he eats bugs) 90 years prior. So, he gets help from a support group for people in codependent relationships in order to be able to live his own life again. Nicolas Cage is our Dracula here, and he’s a perfectly winking one, who still manages to be creepy and deadly.

Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows)

Johnny Depp has become known for his outrageous characters, and his Barnabas Collins is no different. The 2012 Dark Shadows film (which was based on the 1966-1971 gothic daytime drama of the same name) follows Barnabas after he’s cursed with vampirism in 1760, buried alive in a coffin, and then accidentally freed in the early 1970s. He rejoins the Collins family at the estate they still hold, while trying to keep his true nature a secret, but hijinks ensue as his past comes back to haunt them. 

This, of course, is just a small sampling of the famous actors who've portrayed vampires over the years, but if you decide to do a vamp movie/TV show marathon, you can start right here and have hours of entertainment.

We lost a lot of incredible actors in 2023, it’s honestly hard to fathom. From legendary TV actors, like Matthew Perry and Andre Braugher, to movie stars including Alan Arkin, Michael Gambon and Lance Reddick. Now, we’re taking a look back at some of the performers who died this year, and the incredible legacies they’ll always be remembered for. 

Andre Braugher 

TV legend Andre Braugher died at the age of 61. Best known for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: Life on the Street, Braugher’s filmography is incredible, and his legacy will be remembered forever. 

Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry died tragically and unexpectedly in October. He famously played Chandler Bing in the cast of Friends, starred in films like 17 Again, and released a memoir in 2022 titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Angus Cloud

Best known for his work in HBO’s Euphoria as the beloved Fez, Angus Cloud died at the age of 25. 

Paul Reubens 

Paul Reubens died at the age of 70. His legacy will no doubt include his legendary run as Pee-wee Herman. However, he also starred in other projects like Flight of the Navigator and Batman Returns. His final role was a joyful cameo in the comedy Quiz Lady, which premiered on the 2023 movie schedule a few months after he passed away. 

Judy Farrell 

M.A.S.H. actress Judy Farrell died at the age of 84. She played Nurse Able in multiple episodes of the CBS smash hit, and she had roles in other shows like The Partridge Family and Fame. 

 Austin Majors 

Austin Majors died at the age of 27. He was best known for his role in NYPD Blue where he played Theo Sipowicz.

Richard Moll 

Night Cout staple Richard Moll died at the age of 80, less than a year after the show was revived on NBC. He played the beloved bailiff Bull. Along with his work on the sitcom, he also voiced Harvey Dent/Two-Face across multiple animated Batman projects. 

Richard Roundtree 

Best known for his work in Shaft, Richard Roundtree died at the age of 81. He played private detective John Shaft in the 1970s and 2000s, and he was considered the “first Black action hero.”  

Suzanne Somers 

Due to her work in Three’s Company and Step By Step, Suzanne Somers’ will be remembered for her iconic TV legacy. Sadly, Somers died at the age of 76 in October. 

Michael Gambon 

After a long and celebrated career, Michael Gambon died at the age of 82. The actor was best known for playing Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies from Prisoner of Azkaban to Deathly Hallows. Along with the magical films, he also starred in over 170 other projects, including Gosford Park and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. 

David McCallum 

At the age of 90, David McCallum died after a long and beloved career. The actor was best known in recent years for his work as the adored medical examiner Ducky on NCIS. Before that, he played Illya Kuryakin in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Ron Cephas Jones 

Emmy-winner Ron Cephas Jones died at the age of 66. He had over 40 credits to his name across a three-decade career, and he won two Emmys for his role as William Hill on the hit NBC drama This Is Us. 

Johnny Hardwick 

Johnny Hardwick died at 64. He was best known as the voice of Dale Gribble on King of the Hill. 

Mark Margolis 

Character actor Mark Margolis died at the age of 83. He was best known for playing Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The actor also had roles in legendary movies like Scarface and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. 

Alan Arkin 

At the age of 89, Oscar winner Alan Arkin died. He won the Academy Award in 2007 for his performance in Little Miss Sunshine, and he is also well known for his role in the 2012 Best Picture winner Argo. By the end of his career, he had 111 credits to his name.

Mike Batayeh

Mike Batayeh died at the age of 52, and he was best known for playing Dennis Markowski in the fourth and fifth seasons of Breaking Bad. 

Sergio Calderón 

After a six-decade career, Sergio Calderón died at 77. He was best known for his role as Spanish pirate lord Capt. Vallenueva in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. He also had 50 credits to his name by the end of his career. 

Tina Turner 

At the age of 83, Tina Turner died. Best known for her Grammy-winning music, Turner’s career was illustrious and featured hit songs like “The Best,” "Proud Mary" and “River Deep – Mountain High.” She was also an actress, and she starred in movies like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Last Action Hero.

Ray Stevenson 

Ray Stevenson sadly died at the age of 58, around the same time his show Ahsoka was airing on the 2023 TV schedule. He played Baylan Skoll in the Star Wars series, and he voiced a character in Clone Wars and Rebels. Along with that, he played the titular character The Punisher: War Zone. 

Lance Reddick 

When Lance Reddick died, John Wick: Chapter 4 was days away from release, and his series Percy Jackson and the Olympians came out on Disney+ in December. Along with the releases that came after his death, the legendary actor was best known for his work on The Wire, Fringe, Bosch and Angel Has Fallen. 

Ricou Browning

At the age of 93, Ricou Browning sadly died. He was known for playing the title character in Creature from the Black Lagoon, and he worked with Sean Connery on underwater sequences in two James Bond films.  

Richard Belzer

Comedian, and Law and Order SVU vet Richard Belzer died at the age of 78. He played Detective John Munch in 326 episodes of SVU, and he was a well-known stand-up comedian.  

Raquel Welch

Fantastic Voyage actress Raquel Welch died at 82. She was best known as the star of the beloved sci-fi movie, and also made guest appearances on shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and CSI: Miami.  

Charles Kimbrough 

Sitcom icon Charles Kimbrough died at 86. He was part of the legendary ensemble cast of Murphy Brown where he played Jim Dial, and he won an Emmy in 1990 for the role. He also voiced Victor in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and he was a well-known stage actor, earning a Tony nomination for his work in Company.  

Melinda Dillon 

Melinda Dillon died at 83. A Christmas Story and Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind are the films she’s best known for. She also had a career on stage, earning a Tony nomination for her work in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 

Cindy Williams 

Sadly, the star of Laverne and Shirley, Cindy Williams died at the age of 75. She played Shirley Feeney alongside Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio on the show as well as Happy Days. Later in her career, she starred in Getting By.   

Annie Wersching 

Annie Wersching died at the age of 45. Best known for her genre work, the actress starred in Star Trek: Picard and lent her voice to the video game The Last of Us where she played Tess. She also had a recurring role on The Rookie. 

Earl Boen 

At the age of 81, Earl Boen died. He played Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator movies, and he had roles on shows like Seinfeld and The West Wing. He also voiced characters in various animated series including Batman: The Animated Series and Kim Possible. 

Norman Lear

Living to be 101, comedy legend Norman Lear died in December. He was best known as the creator of All in the Family, and is regarded as a legendary producer and writer. However, he did lend his voice to a few projects – South Park and The Simpsons – for cameos. Overall, his impact on TV is undeniable.

We here at CinemaBlend send our condolences to the loved ones of all the incredible actors mentioned in this story. While it’s tragic that they’re no longer with us, their legacies will live on through their marvelous work.

One of the funniest ongoing jokes in the Awkwafina and Sandra Oh-led comedy Quiz Lady is Holland Taylor’s character's inability to tell the difference between Alan Cumming and Paul Reubens. Throughout the film, her character Francine claims that she adores Cumming, but, the images she's always referring to are of the actor behind Pee Wee Herman. So, when she meets Reubens, she thinks it's Cumming, and he pretends to be The Traitors' host. This scene was more than just a funny moment, it was also incredibly touching because it marks Reubens’ final role. So, when I had the chance to interview the creative team behind the comedy on the 2023 movie schedule, I had to ask about the incredible actor and his hilarious cameo.

The Surprising Story Behind How Paul Reubens Ended Up In Quiz Lady 

Jen D'Angelo, the writer and producer of Quiz Lady, told me the story behind how Reubens’ cameo came to be. Honestly, hearing how she came up with the idea makes the situation even funnier, because this actor-mix-up wasn’t the original plan. D’Angelo explained:

From Liev Schreiber to an Alan Cumming/Paul Reubens mix-up, what a wild journey. Finishing up her story, the screenwriter told me the reaction she had when she found out the Pee Wee Herman actor was down:

Jessica Yu, the director of the film, also told me what it was like getting the call that the comedian wanted to join Quiz Lady. She and Sandra Oh were so excited to hear from him, as she explained:

Overall, seeing the comedian pretend to be Alan Cumming as he drove Holland Taylor around in a golf cart was surprising and hilariously perfect. However, following the passing of Reubens, the moment has become even more heartfelt. 

Quiz Lady’s Writer And Director Reflect On Working With The Late Paul Reubens 

Paul Reubens died in late July, which means Quiz Lady marks his final role. For both Jen D’Angelo and Jessica Yu, it was an honor to work with him. The writer and producer reflected on the moments she spent with the comedy legend, saying:

Watching him and Holland Taylor together really was a treat, and Yu also spoke to the charm he brought to the set. Along with explaining how excited she was when they got the call that Reubens wanted to be in the movie, the director also candidly explained what it meant to work with him on what would become his final film. She said:

He really was “magic” in the movie, and he fit right in with the Quiz Lady ensemble. Along with Awkwafina and Sandra Oh’s commanding comedic performances, and the addition of Will Ferrell (who asked to be in the movie), the Pee Wee Herman actor was a fantastic final touch for a hilarious film. 

If you want to see this surprising, hilarious, and ultimately heartwarming cameo, as well as the absolutely hysterical film as a whole, you can stream Quiz Lady with a Hulu subscription.  

Over the years, WrestleMania has given us some of the electrifying matches of all time, iconic moments that we’re still talking about years (and decades) later, and more pageantry than anyone could ever imagine. But the one thing that separates the “Granddaddy of Them All” from your normal wrestling show is the event’s history with celebrity guests, who do everything from make brief appearances or participate in unforgettable matches.

Below is a list of the 35 celebrities who have appeared at WrestleMania, which dates back to WWE’s first pop culture event in 1985 and going all the way to its most recent running in April 2023. From WWE Hall of Famers to guests you may have forgotten, this is quite a list… 

Mr. T (WrestleMania)

We couldn’t kick off our list of WrestleMania celebrity guests with anyone but Mr. T., the star of The A-Team and Rocky III who sided with Hulk Hogan in the main event of the first “Showcase of the Immortals” back in 1985. His tag match with the Hulkster vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff wasn’t a wrestling clinic, but the spectacle of the headlining bout helped make WrestleMania the success story we know today.

Mike Tyson (WrestleMania XIV)

Mike Tyson may have had the quickest three-count in WWE history when he served as the guest enforcer in the WrestleMania XIV match that saw “Stone Cold” Steve Austin dethrone Shawn Michaels for the championship, but it’s still an outstanding moment 25 years later. The controversial boxing figure certainly made the 1998 event one to remember, even before he turned on his D-Generation X ally.

Cyndi Lauper (WrestleMania)

Cyndi Lauper, who was instrumental in the Rock 'n' Wrestling boom of the mid 1980s, also played a key role in the inaugural WrestleMania event. From her great backstage promo with the late “Mean” Gene Okerlund to standing in the corner of Wendi Richter when she defeated Leilani Kai to win the WWE Women’s Championship, the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer was everywhere that night.

Snoop Dogg (WrestleMania 39)

Snoop Dogg has played a role in four different WrestleMania events over the years, but his most recent appearance at the 2023 “Super Bowl of Wrestling” has to be his best. There’s a case to be made for WrestleMania 39 being the best of all time, and the prolific West Coast rapper was key to that success. After Shane McMahon injured himself entering the ring, Snoop saved the segment when he pulled an audible and hit the Miz with a ridiculous “People’s Elbow.”

Muhammad Ali (WrestleMania)

Mike Tyson wasn’t the first boxer to make his presence felt at WrestleMania. That honor falls on the late, great Muhammad Ali, who served as the guest referee in the event’s first headlining bout. There’s even a moment where the boxing legend was standing in the ring with Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, and Liberace. Wrestling is wild sometimes.

Ozzy Osbourne (WrestleMania 2)

WrestleMania 2, which was the only edition in the event’s history to take place in three separate cities, saw a great number of celebrity guests throughout the night. One of the best definitely has to be Ozzy Osbourne, who served as the British Bulldogs’ manager when the team of Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid captured the gold in the Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon.

Pete Rose (WrestleMania XV)

One of the best running WrestleMania gags of the late 1990s and early 2000s was Pete Rose getting tombstoned by Kane. The controversial Cincinnati Reds legend, who was barred from MLB after a gambling scandal, showed up as the San Diego Chicken at WrestleMania XV in 1999 and was once again confronted by the “Big Red Machine,” who quickly put him in his place to the roar of the Philadelphia crowd.

Johnny Knoxville (WrestleMania 38)

The Jackass crew has a long history with WWE, and one of the genuinely best chapters in that story is Johnny Knoxville’s bout against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 38. The “Anything Goes” match, which was one of the most memorable contests on the two-day card, had no business being so good. Combining old school wrestling storytelling with Jackass gags (like a giant hand and a mouse trap), the showdown became an instant classic.

Ray Charles (WrestleMania 2)

Some of the greatest singers of all time have lent their voices to WWE over the years, including Ray Charles. The beloved singer known for hits like “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” and “I Got a Woman” performed “America the Beautiful” to kick off WrestleMania 2.

Bob Uecker (WrestleMania IV)

Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcaster (and Major League star) Bob Uecker has quite the history at WrestleMania, as he has popped up three times in the event’s history. It all started with WrestleMania III when “Mr. Baseball” helped out on commentary, but the next year's event saw one of the most classic moments in WWE history when Andre the Giant gave Uecker an interview he'll never forget.

Aretha Franklin (WrestleMania III)

In addition to all her hit songs, iconic movie moments, and other achievements, Aretha Franklin appeared at two WrestleMania events throughout her life, both of which were held in or near her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The late singer performed “America the Beautiful” at WrestleMania III in the Pontiac Silverdome and then again 20 years later at Ford Field.

Bad Bunny (WrestleMania 37)

Rapper-turned-wrestler-turned-actor Bad Bunny made his in-ring wrestling debut at WrestleMania 37 where he teamed with Damian Priest to take on the Miz and John Morrison in a winning effort. He has since returned to the ring on multiple occasions and continues to improve as a performer.

Gladys Knight (WrestleMania IV) 

Seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight is another legendary singer who has been a part of the WrestleMania festivities over the years. Knight showed up at WrestleMania IV in 1988 to perform the customary “America the Beautiful” to nearly 20,000 fans in attendance at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.

Run-D.M.C. (WrestleMania V)

A few years before WWE superstars performed the “WrestleMania” song, hip hop legends Run-D.M.C. hit the ring with a rap of their own at WrestleMania V in April 1989. The “WrestleMania Rap” was created for the event and was performed by the group in the middle of the ring in front of thousands of screaming fans. 

Pat McAfee (WrestleMania 38)

Former Indianapolis Colts punter and current sports talk legend Pat McAfee has had quite the history in WWE the past few years, including some pretty stellar in-ring moments. Perhaps the biggest came at WrestleMania 38 when he challenged Vince McMahon to a match after defeating Austin Theory. Though Mr. McMahon won the bout (due to some shenanigans), McAfee, with the help of Steve Austin, got the last laugh.

Shaquille O'Neal (WrestleMania 32)

Shaquille O’Neal and professional wrestling was a match made in heaven, and WWE fans got to see that become a reality when the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer entered the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. Was it a display of in-ring talent? No, but it was an unforgettable moment seeing him stand face-to-face with Big Show in the middle of the 20-man match.

Regis Philbin (WrestleMania VII)

WrestleMania VII is best remembered for being the beginning of the Undertaker’s historic streak as well as the main event championship match between WWE Champion Sgt. Slaughter and Hulk Hogan. The night also included an appearance by Regis Philbin, who stepped in and helped provide commentary in the high-profile headlining bout. 

Alex Trebek (WrestleMania VII)

Alex Trebek, the longtime host of Jeopardy, was another major celebrity guest for WrestleMania VII where he served as the ring announcer during the main event match. The beloved TV figure, who passed away in 2020, also conducted multiple backstage interviews throughout the event.

Rob Gronkowski (WrestleMania 36)

Four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski has had two appearances at the “Granddaddy of Them All” over the years, including WrestleMania 36 where he served as the host of the event taped behind closed doors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former tight end for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers previously took part in WrestleMania 33 where he helped friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Al Roker (WrestleMania 33)

WrestleMania 33 is best remembered for John Cena proposing to Nikki Bella in the middle of the ring after defeating the Miz and Maryse in a mixed-gender tag team match. But who was the ring with Cena and his former girlfriend? None other than Al Roker, the longtime weatherman and personality on NBC’s Today show.

Reba McEntire (WrestleMania VIII)

Reba McEntire made an appearance at WrestleMania VIII in April 1992. The celebrated country singer and actress took to the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana, to perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” in front of a massive 60,000-strong crowd of screaming wrestling fans.

Burt Reynolds (WrestleMania X)

WWE returned to Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania X in March 1994, an event that featured multiple celebrity guests like Donnie Wahlberg, Rhonda Shear, and Jennie Garth. The biggest actor to appear, and the man who served as ring announcer in the main event match involving Bret Hart and Yokozuna, was none other than Burt Reynolds.

Little Richard (WrestleMania X)

Another celebrity guest featured at WrestleMania X was legendary R&B trailblazer, Little Richard, who was on hand to perform “America the Beautiful” to kick off the historic event.

Pamela Anderson (WrestleMania XI)

Pamela Anderson, who was all the rage at the time thanks to her role on Baywatch, was one of the multiple celebrity guests on hand at WrestleMania XI in April 1995. The pop culture sensation served as Diesel’s, aka Kevin Nash, valet in his bout against Shawn Michaels.

Lawrence Taylor (WrestleManina XI)

WWE has a long history of bringing in big-named athletes for marquee events, and that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who took on Bam Bam Bigelow in the WrestleMania XI main event. The two-time Super Bowl champion was joined by a half-dozen other NFLers in a winning effort.

Floyd Mayweather (WrestleMania XXIV)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather is another big-name celebrity who has appeared at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” The decorated boxer, who took home a big paycheck for a 2021 fight with Logan Paul, entered the squared circle to take on Big Show in no DQ match at WrestleMania XXIV back in 2008.

Donald Trump (WrestleMania 23)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has made many appearances over the years, including a “Battle of the Billionaires” match at WrestleMania 23. Trump’s night ended after taking a Stunner from Steve Austin.

Ice-T (WrestleMania 2000)

Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T showed up at WrestleMania 2000 where he performed “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy” for the Godfather’s entrance.

Limp Bizkit (WrestleMania XIX)

Limp Bizkit, still one of the bigger nu-metal bands at the time, performed a pair of tracks at WrestleMania XIX in March 2003: that year’s official song, “Crack Addict,” and their own hit track, “Rollin,” for the Undertaker’s entrance.

Mickey Rourke (WrestleMania XXV)

After appearing in The Wrestler, one of the best movies of the 2000s, Mickey Rourke entered the ring for real when he confronted Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XXV. Though he didn’t participate in a match, he did give Y2J a knockout punch.

Paul Reubens As Pee-Wee Herman (WrestleMania XXVII)

The Rock may have been the biggest name in the house when he hosted WrestleMania XXVII in April 2011, but he wasn’t the only celebrity on hand that night. The late Paul Reubens, as his famous Pee-Wee Herman character, showed up throughout the night in one of his numerous WWE appearances over the years.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs (WrestleMania 29) 

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared at WrestleMania 29 where he performed “Coming Home,” one of the event’s official theme songs.

Kid Rock (WrestleMania XXV) 

Kid Rock performed not one, not two, but a whole medley of tracks at WrestleMania XXV back in 2009, including smash hit songs “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy.”

Colin Jost And Michael Che (WrestleMania 35)

After teasing it in the leadup to the event, Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che showed up at WrestleMania 35 where they participated in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. They weren’t successful or anything, but they did look extra ridiculous, especially when Braun Strowman got involved.

Machine Gun Kelly (WrestleMania XXVIII) 

About a decade before Machine Gun Kelly started his whirlwind romance with Megan Fox, the rapper showed up at WrestleMania XXVIII to perform “Invincible,” that year’s official theme song.

You can go back and watch these celebrity appearances and other great WrestleMania moments with a Peacock subscription. And with WrestleMania XL, as well as other upcoming WWE events on the way, there’s a chance we’ll see even more names on this list in the coming months. 

35 years after the O.G. film hit theaters with its macabre mania, Beetlejuice 2 is closer than ever to becoming a reality, and director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton nearly finished filming the sequel when the SAG AFTRA actors strike went into effect. Keaton obviously isn’t the only fan-favorite collaborator that Burton has favored working with over the years, with Sleepy Hollow star Johnny Depp and Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure co-creator Paul Reubens serving as two stable regulars across various projects. The filmmaker isn’t the only connective tissue between the actors’ careers, as they both suffered public downfalls and backlashes at different heights in their careers, which Burton has reflected on a little over a month after Reubens’ death at 70.

Burton’s decades of creative endeavors will soon be on display for an exhibition at the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, showcasing sketches, photos, costumes and much more from his lengthy and successful career. When speaking to The Independent, the director was asked for his current thoughts about the falls from public favor that both Reubens and Depp went through at various points in their careers, with Edward Scissorhands’ angry mob brought up as a comparison point. Here’s how the Ed Wood director responded:

It’s interesting that Tim Burton, who has long been perceived as the alt-goth kid in Hollywood’s high school lunchroom, has spent nearly his entire life viewing the public as an angry village waiting to rail against the thing they don’t agree with. The idea of violence-minded citizens is arguably most related to the castle-storming crowd at the climax of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but is a concept that has been utilized time and again in more modern fictions, particularly on The Simpsons. (Nobody loves a good town mob like Springfield citizens.) And as social media has made clear in recent years, there’s no lack of mob mentality in today’s society either.

When it comes to Paul Reubens, the backlash had almost entirely faded by the time he passed away, but the memories likely had not. It was in July 1991 when Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure as he was watching a film at a porno theater. The arrest itself may not have been enough to derail the actor’s career, but the juxtaposition between Reubens’ sexualized private life and the child-friendly nature of his public Pee-Wee Herman persona was a major sticking point. His drug use and erotic photography collection also made him a target for angry parents over the years as well. 

Meanwhile, Johnny Depp has gone through multiple stages of fanbase swings and public disapproval throughout his career. (The two actors famously worked together onscreen, not for a Tim Burton film, but for Ted Demme’s Blow.) The actor’s persona and on-screen performances began to draw ridicule after his popularity exploded anew due to 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean and its sequels, but it was his controversial relationship with Amber Heard that really shook the fandom up. The lengthy and highly publicized trial that followed their break-up drew just about every kind of opinion under the sun, but the fact that he came out on top in the end makes it that much easier for the actor to make a mini-comeback in the aftermath.

Both celebs’ situations are/were far cries from the misplaced anger and vengeance that fueled the mob that descended on the titular character’s home in Edward Scissorhands. And that character did not, as far as we know, get a second chance to win over those who’d loved him previously. That wasn’t so much the case for Paul Reubens and Johnny Depp themselves, but there are no doubt some out there whose opinions of both have been tarnished for good. 

It’s unclear if Tim Burton will ever make another film with Johnny Depp, who presumably won’t be popping up in Beetlejuice 2 in any capacity. That film is currently set for a September 6, 2024 release date, but time will tell if that needs to get pushed back or not. 

Paul Reubens truly was a phenomenal actor who graced us with the character of Pee-Wee Herman ever since 1978. When it was revealed on July 30th that the talented comedian died at 70, people have been finding ways to pay tribute to Reubens in any way they could. Roku City certainly kept this late actor in mind when they added Pee-Wee’s bike to the device’s screensaver and I can’t help but be emotional about this.

If you remember Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, the title character's bike played a very important role in the movie. After getting stolen, it was up to the iconic character to rope himself towards a wild adventure in retrieving it back. After Paul Reubens died from a private battle with cancer, Roku City made sure to tribute the talented actor by including Pee-Wee’s cruiser bike onto the device’s screensaver which features this four-wheeler up against a building in a rotating city landscape. Check out Roku City’s newest addition in the photo below and try not to cry.

It’s so sweet seeing how Roku City is keeping Paul Reubens in their thoughts. Who would have thought a bicycle would melt our hearts like this? According to a behind-the-scenes fact of the Tim Burton movie, it wasn’t until a custom bike was given to Reubens for him to ride around the Warner Bros. lot that he got the idea to have this mode of transportation be the plot of the movie. This bike is also an important piece of movie memorabilia in that it found its way on eBay and was sold at auction for $36,000. As the fantasy adventure film did a great job showing the love story between a man-child and his most prized possession, clearly someone else wanted to feel that same love too.

The story of Pee-Wee Herman is an example of how when one door closes, another opens. Reubens created The Pee-Wee Herman Show in the early 1980s at the Roxy Theater after being rejected from SNL (who also paid tribute to Reubens after his death). After these late-night shows were selling out for both adults and kids, HBO launched The Pee-Wee Herman Show on the uncensored stand-up show On Location. While this lovable character was included in movies like the Cheech & Chong movies, he got his own movie through Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985. This adventure-comedy film helped make a name for Tim Burton in his directorial debut and is considered one of his best movies. Bringing in $40.9 million at the box office, this brought on the CBS series Pee-Wee’s Playhouse which was also super successful.  

Plenty of people shared their stories of Paul Reubens after his death. Many have said what a warm man he was in taking the time to make conversations with people and dedicate his time to them. Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday star Joe Manganiello also paid tribute to the star who he said felt lucky to know him and praised him as “an artist and a weirdo who fought for other artists and weirdos.” Cabazon Dinosaurs also honored the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor by painting one of the giant green dinosaur statues from the movie with the suit and tie the childlike character is known for wearing. He will be greatly missed.

Roku City's emotional tribute to Paul Reubens will be a great reminder of what an impact this gifted actor had on his audience. But, fans may find a way to say goodbye to him thanks to the Safdie Brothers in their next major project through a documentary that highlights the life of the American comedian. Be on the lookout through your Max subscription so you’ll know when this upcoming documentary will prop up. 

The comedy world was wounded deeply by the death of Paul Reubens, whose signature creation Pee-Wee Herman has entertained fans for decades, and will continue to inspire for many more to come. Despite his long and secretive bout with cancer, the actor still managed to take on a variety of creative projects in the aftermath of Netflix's feature Pee-wee's Big Holiday, from his fun mini-run as The Penguin's dapper daddy on Gotham to his What We Do in the Shadows cameo to a one-off appearance on The Conners. And fans can take comfort in knowing Reubens has at least one more major project on the way thanks to Uncut Gems' directors Benny and Josh Safdie, and there may be more.

As it turns out, Paul Reubens spent the final months of his life putting on quite an effort to take part in TV and film projects, with arguably the most promising one coming via the Safdie brothers and HBO. First announced in 2021, the premium cabler is set to one day unveil a full-length documentary focusing on Reuben’s ground-breaking and generation-spanning character Pee-Wee Herman. 

According to TMZ, it’s been confirmed that the directors and others working on the project were able to finish all their interviews with Reubens ahead of his death, and the amount of time he was able to offer the project may both shock and impress audiences. Though the final months of his life jumped from good days to those when he was feeling less equipped to deliver, the Broadway vet was still able to offer something around 40 hours of his time to take part in interviews and other behind-the-scenes footage. 

He’s not the only one who’ll be seen on camera, obviously, as it’s reported more than 25 of Reubens’ friends and former co-stars are also involved in the doc’s interviews. One can probably expect to see other iconic members of the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse TV cast, from black-ish vet Laurence Fishburne to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia recurrer Lynne Marie Stewart to Chicago Med’s S. Epatha Merkerson. 

Not to mention co-stars from Big Adventures (and perhaps director Tim Burton), Big Top Pee-Wee and the aforementioned Netflix movie. Considering that film’s Joe Manganiello shared a lengthy message following Reuben’s death, he’ll probably be in the mix as well, along with co-writer Paul Rust and producer Judd Apatow, who produced and directed a pair of his own superb documentary projects centered on late comedy legends: The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling and 2022’s George Carlin’s American Dream, with HBO backing both of those as well.

It’s claimed that the Safdie brothers compiled around 1,000 hours of footage to comb through for the HBO documentary. In that respect, going through merely 40 hours just of Reubens’ material doesn’t sound too stressful at all, although it’s definitely still stress-inducing in most other respects. 

Beyond the Safdie brothers’ new project, Paul Reubens also reportedly finished a first draft edition of his memoir, which doesn’t seem to have a working title at the moment. Depending on how those writings are posthumously handled, we may get to read about Pee-Wee’s past from the man himself ahead of the TV doc. 

It’s unclear when the Pee-Wee-centric HBO documentary will make its way to the small screen and to those with Max subscriptions, but be sure to stay tuned for more release info as it arrives. In the meantime, check out some of the highlights from Reubens’ career, from his superhero duties (teehee) in Mystery Men to his other various DC Comics roles, including his reteaming with Tim Burton for Batman Returns.  

True Blood alum Joe Manganiello joins Hollywood in grieving the untimely loss of the iconic Paul Reubens. The entertainment world was deeply saddened by the Mystery Men actors' passing at the age of 70 on Monday. Following the news of his death, many individuals, including Manganiello, shared heartfelt stories about the late star. The Magic Mike actor took to social media to pay tribute to his friend and comedic genius with a touching post.

In his moving Instagram post, the Sabotage actor shared a collection of photos from the pair's media tour for the critically well-received 2016 Netflix film Pee-Wee's Big Holiday. His caption began by expressing the heartache of bidding farewell to someone who held such significance in his life. The actor praised Paul Reubens as a genuine friend who believed in him, advocated for him, and appreciated the unique qualities that others might have overlooked, saying:

The Spider-Man veteran paints a vivid picture of the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse creator’s extraordinary comedic talents, hailing him as one of the greatest geniuses in the genre. He highlighted Reubens' subversive brilliance, quick wit, and immense compassion. He continued:

Additionally, Joe recognized Paul's visionary nature, always ahead of his time, and gifted at identifying exceptional talent. He added:

Beyond their on-screen collaboration in Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, Manganiello and Reubens shared a deep bond off-camera. The Magic Mike actor affectionately referred to him as an icon who also embodied the endearing qualities of an underdog, winning the hearts of people from all walks of life.

While Paul Reubens will probably always be best remembered as the bow-tie-wearing childlike character he created, it's essential to appreciate his versatility as an actor in other roles. A notable example of this is his role in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie cast, where he brilliantly portrayed the comedic yet terrifying vampire Amilyn in the original 1992 film. Additionally, his journey as the character RX-24 in the Star Wars franchise showcased his ability to bring iconic droids to life. From the first Disney attraction based on George Lucas' sci-fi series to multiple appearances in franchise lore, RX-24's character evolved. Notably, in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, RX-24 embraced the role of a robot DJ, revealing the actor's diverse talents beyond the pilot's seat.

A representative for the late performer confirmed that he had privately battled cancer for several years, demonstrating his trademark tenacity and wit until the end. The late actor played a pivotal role in launching the careers of numerous remarkable actors, directors, and composers, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment industry.

Paul Reubens' profound impact on comedy and the enduring charm of his beloved character, Pee-Wee Herman, will be etched in the hearts of not only his friends and colleagues, like Joe Manganiello, but fans forever. 

For fans who want to relieve the late actor's greatest creation, Pee-Wee's Big Holiday is available streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription. 

Hollywood truly lost one of the greats this week with the passing of Pee-wee's Big Adventure star Paul Reubens. Many stars have shared their sweet and funny stories about Reubens in the wake of the loss, showing that his talent and spirit live on. The actor was a true comic at heart, seemingly always down for a bit involving his iconic Pee-wee Herman character. Saturday Night Live demonstrated this when they paid tribute to Paul Reubens by sharing a sketch the actor did with Andy Samberg, and it’s hilariously over-the-top.

In a now-viral Tweet, the official social media account for the variety sketch series shared one of Reubens' most memorable SNL appearances. He only hosted once, in 1985, but the actor was kind enough to lend his talents to a Digital Short with Samberg back in 2011. The collaboration of the two comic minds has outlandish results, truly capturing how funny Reubens was. You can see the sketch below:

The digital piece centers around Andy Samberg and Pee-wee Herman having a crazy night out. They get drunk at a bar together, ride a mechanical bull, play a violent prank on Anderson Cooper and a cop, and end up in an intervention for their behavior. They are confronted by Samberg’s friends Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, and Kenan Thompson, and Pee-wee Herman’s friends from Pee-wee’s Playhouse. It’s a much more adult take on the Pee-wee Herman character but has the same whimsy and hilarity we love from the 80’s icon. 

SNL surprisingly played a big role in Reubens' career trajectory. The actor auditioned for the NBC mainstay back in the early 80s. He didn’t end up getting a place in the cast, as Gilbert Gottfried was hired instead. It was then that the actor started performing as Pee-wee Herman in stage shows, which laid the groundwork for his career-defining performances as that character in feature films. If Reubens had been in the SNL cast, we may have not gotten decades of incredible Pee-wee Herman films from him. 

Even though he didn’t join the cast way back when, the Gotham alum still was more than generous to play the role in the 2011 sketch. Reubens was a comedic and creative influence for many, and one could imagine performing alongside the actor was an honor for The Lonely Island member. Seeing Pee-wee up to crazy shenanigans is also a blast to watch for an audience. It’s no wonder the sketch caught on, getting love from fans of the actor and his generation-defining character. 

The comedy star was a treasure, and you can celebrate some of his most memorable on-screen performances by checking out our feature on Paul Reubens' best movies And TV shows. Andy Samberg fans can revisit other great sketches from the comedian’s Saturday Night Live stint with a Peacock subscription. 

Paul Reubens may be best known for his work as the beloved Pee-wee Herman, but he had a long list of credits that made him a favorite for many. In the wake of the actor's passing at the age of 70, The Blacklist creator Jon Bokenkamp looked back at when Reubens came to the hit NBC drama (which ended after ten seasons this summer) and influenced the show and his own character of Mr. Vargas. 

The Pee-wee Herman star recurred on The Blacklist across the second and third seasons as Mr. Vargas, and the character was a standout from his first episode. It wasn't always clear which side Mr. Vargas was on, and he ultimately learned just what happens when you try to betray and deceive Raymond Reddington. 

Show creator Jon Bokenkamp spoke with People about working with Paul Reubens for The Blacklist, sharing that they "really created the character for Paul" and that "he was lovely enough to do it" after they came up with a "weird and exciting" idea. The idea was only the beginning, however, as Bokenkamp went on to share how the actor contributed to shaping Mr. Vargas: 

Fans of The Blacklist from the run on NBC (or streaming via a Netflix subscription) will remember that Mr. Vargas' discomfort with blood was almost immediately established as a character trait in his very first episode. The reveal added some humor to a pretty dark scene, and quickly made the Reddington/Mr. Vargas dynamic fun to watch.

Jon Bokenkamp further shared that Paul Reubens brought a cane with him to the Blacklist set in case the fake blood made him queasy, prompting the creator and writers to take "his peculiarities and worked them into the show." Bokenkamp elaborated on how Reubens contributed to the "strange look" of Mr. Vargas:

Paul Reubens turned Mr. Vargas into a memorable character rather than one who fades into the background in a show full of double agents and betrayals. Fans unfortunately only got a handful of episodes with the character before his untimely end, but Jon Bokenkamp's comments about his impact on the show are a tribute to Reubens' work on the NBC drama. The Blacklist creator went even further to credit the late actor:

Paul Reubens' death was officially announced on July 31, following a private battle with cancer. It didn't take long for fans to start sharing stories about the Pee-wee's Big Adventure actor to pay tribute to him, and he is already remembered widely for roles in addition to Pee-wee and Mr. Vargas. In fact, he played a Batman fan-favorite among other DC roles, and there's a long list of Paul Reubens Movies and TV shows to watch (or rewatch) to celebrate his life and career. 

If you want to revisit his time as Mr. Vargas on The Blacklist, you can find Season 2 and Season 3 streaming on Netflix. Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend remain with the family, friends, and loved ones of Paul Reubens in this difficult time. 

We have declared the word of the day to be two words: Paul Reubens. The actor, who was best known for creating the iconic character, Pee-wee Herman, and portraying him in multiple titles, passed away at the age of 70 after a private, years-long battle with cancer.

Of course, the Emmy-nominated comedian entertained millions with various other great performances outside of his years as Pee-wee, and we will cover all the best in our following list of Paul Reubens movies and TV shows fans can now stream online in his honor. But first, let’s start with some of the best starring our favorite man-child.

Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1986-1991)

A childish grown-up (Reubens), his friends and neighbors, and his sentient belongings go on many fun, wacky, and even informative adventures — sometimes without ever leaving the house.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Reubens first debuted his iconic character in the late ‘70s as part of improvisational comedy group, The Groundlings (which he recalled to Jimmy Fallon), but he became a household name by introducing viewers of all ages into his household on Pee-wee’s Playhouse — the Emmy-winning children’s program that also featured acclaimed actors like Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson in recurring roles.

Buy Pee-wee's Playhouse on Amazon.

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

When his bike is suddenly stolen, Pee-wee travels across the country, committed to retrieving it at all costs, running into some bizarre situations and meeting some interesting new friends along the way.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: While Reubens’ first feature film appearance as Pee-wee was in 1980’s Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, the first film to put him in the spotlight was the highly imaginative and thoroughly hilarious road movie, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure — not only one of the best Tim Burton movies, but the acclaimed visionary director’s feature-length debut that was also co-written by Reubens with Michael Varhol and his Groundlings teammate and SNL legend, Phil Hartman.

Rent or buy Pee-wee's Big Adventure on Amazon.

Big Top Pee-Wee (1988)

After taking up a new life as a farmer, Pee-wee suddenly finds his land occupied by a traveling circus, whose trapeze artist (Italian actor Valeria Golino in her first starring role in an American film) catches his attention.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Pee-wee returned to the big screen in a follow-up to Big Adventure, called Big Top Pee-wee, that allows Reubens to broaden his scope as a performer. It was directed by Grease helmer Randal Kleiser and also, once again, penned by Reubens with Pee-wee’s Playhouse writer George McGrath.

Stream Big Top Pee-wee on Paramount+.
Stream Big Top Pee-wee on Amazon Prime.

Pee-Wee's Big Holiday (2016)

A chance meeting with a cool drifter (Joe Manganiello) inspires Pee-wee to leave his quaint hometown and go on a much-needed vacation.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Reubens teamed up with director John Lee (co-creator of Adult Swim’s Wonder Showzen), co-writer Paul Rust (creator of Netflix’s Love), and producer Judd Apatow (I’m sure you’re familiar) for the Netflix original comedy, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, which was Reuben’s first feature-length appearance in the title role in nearly three decades, and also the last.

Stream Pee-wee's Big Holiday on Netflix.

Batman Returns (1992)

Millionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton, in one of his best movies) dons the cape and cowl once again to save Gotham from a bird-like sewer-dweller (Danny DeVito), while struggling to decided if he has found a friend or foe in a woman dressed as a cat (Michelle Pfieffer).

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Reubens and (in a fun Easter egg) his Pee-wee’s Big Adventure co-star, Diane Salinger, re-teamed with Burton to play the disavowing parents of one of the most iconic iterations of the Penguin in the cold open for the filmmaker’s second live-action Batman movie, Batman Returns.

Stream Batman Returns on Max.
Rent or buy Batman Returns on Amazon.

Gotham (2016-2017)

As Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie, who also played Batman in the animated movie, Batman: Year One) struggles to be force for justice in his new corrupt, crime-ridden home, a wealthy, orphaned boy (David Mazouz) aspires toward the same goal to avenge his murdered parents.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Batman Returns was not the only time Reubens played the Penguin’s dad, as he would also appear alongside the Gotham cast for three episodes between Seasons 2 and 3 as Elijah Van Dahl — the wealthy, long-lost, and actually accepting fatter of Robin Lord Taylor’s version of Oswald Cobblepot on the hit Fox series set during Bruce Wayne’s youth.

Stream Gotham on Max.
Buy Gotham on Amazon.

DC's Legends Of Tomorrow (2018-2019)

A time-traveling loner (Arthur Darvill) puts together a team of costumed vigilantes and highly skilled criminals in order to prevent a cataclysmic threat.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Gotham is not the only great DC TV show which Reubens has appeared on, as he also had a recurring role alongside DC's Legends Of Tomorrow cast as the voice of Dybbuk — a malevolent, possessive spirit that inhabits a doll to terrorize the titular crew of this Arrowverse favorite.

Stream DC's Legends Of Tomorrow on Netflix.
Buy DC's Legends Of Tomorrow on Amazon.

Mystery Men (1999)

When their city’s most trusted superhero (Greg Kinnear) goes missing, it is up to a team of obscure, wannabe vigilantes (William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, and more) to save the day from a recently released, eccentric criminal mastermind (Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush).

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Reubens also got to play a superhero once in the hilarious, underrated comic book movie, Mystery Men, in the very bizarre role of The Spleen, who has been cursed since his youth with the ability to expel a silent, but deadly gas out his… well, you can probably figure that out.

Stream Mystery Men on Peacock.
Rent or buy Mystery Men on Amazon.

Flight Of The Navigator (1986)

After waking up to discover that he has been missing for eight years, but without having aged a day, a 12-year-old boy (Joey Cramer) tries to figure out the answer to his absence, leading him to go on an unforgettable adventure.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Before Randal Kleiser directed Reubens in Big Top Pee-wee, the two worked together on Disney’s classic sci-fi flick, Flight of the Navigator, which features the actor as the voice of Max — the alien AI which powers that spacecraft that the young central character discovers he has been programmed to pilot.

Stream Flight Of The Navigator on Disney+.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)

A high school cheerleader (Kristy Swanson) discovers that she is destined to protect the human race from evil, undead bloodsuckers.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: When not playing Pee-wee, Reubens has rarely been opposed to letting out his bad side, such as with his memorably off-the-wall performance in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie cast as Amilyn — a fanged, punk rocker villain whom the actor would reprise with a What We Do in the Shadows cameo in 2019.

Stream Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Max.
Rent or buy Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Amazon.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The most revered figure in a town obsessed with Halloween (Chris Sarandon) finds the more unique celebration he has been searching for in Christmas, but unwittingly lays the groundwork for a season filled with more fear than cheer.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Another one of Reubens’ more menacing characters appears in another one of his collaborations with writer and producer Burton for the stop-motion animated, holiday classic with a spooky twist, The Nightmare Before Christmas, in which the actor voices Lock — one of the mischievous, young trick-r-treaters who conspire to kidnap Santa Claus. 

Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+.

Dunston Checks In (1996)

The manager of a luxurious hotel (Jason Alexander — better known as Seinfeld’s George Costanza) fears for his chances of a promotion when he discovers that his sons have befriended an orangutan who has gone on the loose.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Reubens took on one of his funnier antagonistic roles as overly serious animal control officer, Buck LaFarge, in Dunston Checks In — one of the more successful and, sometimes, delightful films released when movies about primates seemed more popular than ever.

Rent or buy Dunston Checks In on Amazon.

Blow (2001)

Failed marijuana dealer George Jung (Johnny Depp) receives a second chance at success in the drug trade by helping Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel establish a market for cocaine in the United States during the 1970s. 

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: Reubens surprised critics and audiences with his performance in one of the best Johnny Depp movies, Blow, as a coke-addicted hairdresser named Derek Foreal — a character based on one of the real Jung’s business partners, Richard Barile, according to Stagbite.

Rent or buy Blow on Amazon.

Mosaic (2018)

The investigation into the murder of a popular children’s book author and illustrator (Sharon Stone) uncovers a deadly, conspiratorial game.

Why it is one of Paul Reubens’ best: A more recent example of one of Reubens’ darker roles could be seen on writer Ed Solomon and director Steven Soderbergh’s eight-episode, HBO original whodunit, Mosaic — originally released as an interactive experience that allowed the viewer to choose from multiple perspectives — in which the actor played the best friend of Stone’s slain character.

Stream Mosaic on Max.
Buy Mosaic on Amazon.

For many, he will always be Pee-wee Herman, but it is clear from the titles listed above that there were many sides to Paul Reubens. He will be dearly missed.

The entertainment industry has lost another talent, as it was announced on July 31, 2023 that Paul Reubens died at the age of 70 following a six-year battle with cancer. Of course, in the wake of this bad news, a lot of people are bringing up how great he was as Pee-Wee Herman, and for good reason. The childlike protagonist is a pop culture icon, chiefly known for leading two movies, a TV series and a stage show, but having also made a variety of other big and small screen appearances. There's no question that Pee-Wee will always be Reubens’ best-known role, and I’m hopeful future generations will appreciate it just as much as we do now.

However, as someone who’s a massive DC Comics fan, after learning that Paul Reubens had passed away, I couldn’t help but think of the various ways he left his stamp on this corner of the superhero media landscape. From his time as Bat-Mite on Batman: The Brave and the Bold to playing a Chucky-inspired serial killer in the Arrowverse, the actor deserves a lot more attention for how he contributed to DC. So let’s spend some time going over this portion of his resume, starting with the aforementioned imp from the Fifth Dimension who’s been a Batman fan-favorite for decades.

Bat-Mite

Just like in the comics, Paul Reubens’ Bat-Mite was Batman’s biggest fan, but went about showing his enthusiasm in ways that annoyed the Caped Crusader and made his life a lot more complicated. But along with boasting his traditional reality-warping powers, this Bat-Mite also frequently broke the fourth wall, allowing him to poke fun at the Batman movies, past TV shows and DC Comics fans. He was even the catalyst for bringing Batman: The Brave and the Bold to an end in 2011 with the series, “Mitefall,” though that ironically led to his own erasure. Along with voicing Bat-Mite voiced Bat-Mite in four episodes of the animated TV series and the tie-in video game from 2010, Reubens later reprised the role in the unconnected animated movie Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leagured. He wasn’t the first actor to voice Bat-Mite, but I’ll always hear his voice when reading the character’s dialogue in a comic.

The Penguin’s Father

Paul Reubens first appeared as the father of Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, in the opening minutes of Batman Returns, with Diane Salinger by his side as Penguin’s mother. However, Reubens didn’t say any lines in this appearance, and it simply served as an opportunity for him to collaborate with director Tim Burton again after they’d worked together on Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. More than two decades though, Reubens played a different take on Penguin’s father in the TV show Gotham. This version, named Elijah Van Dahl, learned about his son’s existence not long after Oswald’s mother, Carol Kane’s Gertrud Kapelput, was murdered, and he didn’t waste time welcoming his son to his family. However, Elijah was poisoned by his wife Grace and her children when they learned that he’d decided to leave his fortune to Oswald, which pushed Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin to exact revenge and return to a life of villainy.

The Riddler

In the mid-2010s, the Adult Swim series Robot Chicken released three DC Comics-focused specials, and Paul Reubens participated in all of them as Edward Nygma, a.k.a. The Riddler. This version of the longtime Batman foe was chiefly shown as a member of the Legion of Doom, the super villain team introduced in the 1970s animated series Challenge of the Super Friends. Needless to say that Robot Chicken’s Riddler wasn’t a complex role, but it did provide Reubens another platform to show off his comedic chops (side note, I’m a big proponent of Riddler’s dream The Punctuation Posse to be featured in the comics). I also find myself imagining what it would have been like if Reubens had gotten to play Riddler in live-action, specifically if he’d been hired for Batman Forever instead of Jin Carrey.

Mike The Spike

The events of Legends of Tomorrow Season 4 saw the protagonists hunting down magical fugitives dispersed throughout time, including serial killer Mike the Spike. Becoming a dybbuk following his death, Mike’s spirit inhabited a young girl’s doll in 1856 New Orleans and attempted to resume his murder spree, but was stopped by the Legends, with Mick Rory burning the doll. Once aboard the Waverider, Mike’s spirit transferred itself to the Martin Stein puppet and attempted to slice and dice its inhabitants, but they defeated him once more, and he remained in that puppet for the rest of his appearances. Mike the Spike wasn’t the most dangerous threat in this season of Legends of Tomorrow, but it was nice to have Reubens contribute to the Arrowverse show in this special way.

Paul Reubens’ appearances in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Batman Returns, Gotham and Robot Chicken can all be streamed with a Max subscription, and Netflix subscribers have easy access to his Legends of Tomorrow episodes. Of course, these are just some of the great non-Pee-wee characters he played over his lifetime, so don’t hesitate those movies and TV shows a watch too if you’re interested in revisiting the man’s career following his passing. 

For those of you curious about what DC has coming up, our upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows guides are at your disposal. The company’s next big screen offering will be Blue Beetle in August, and animated shows like Harley Quinn and My Adventures with Superman are currently keeping things going on the small screen front.

Hollywood and entertainment hounds of all ages lost a truly magnetic artist this week in the form of Paul Reubens. The creator and star of the wacky comedy Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse was a one-of-a-kind comedian and performer known for many roles even outside his hilarious man-child. And he wasn’t just celebrated for what he could bring to the stage and screen, but what he continued to deliver to fans once the cameras stopped rolling; or even when there weren’t any cameras around to begin with. Following his death at 70, a slew of fans, friends, and fawners have taken to social media to share heartwarming stories, and each one is a sharp reminder of just how unique the dude was.

Paul Reubens passed away after a bout with cancer that he'd kept almost entirely private, which spoke to the idea that many have shared that he was as selfless as a celeb could possibly be, and always seemed to be more interested in others' lives. Take this story from screenwriter Todd Spence, which alone could provke a renewed faith in humanity, if only everyone else in the world was also Reubens-esque. Spence intro'd the story by saying he used to work at Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where a good friend of his was in charge of keeping the green room prepped, and handling any guest requests as they came in. He continued on Twitter:

• @Todd_Spence: "So Paul shows up, nice as usual, extremely friendly to everyone, but hadn't met my friend before. Let's call him Jack. Jack is there if Paul needs anything at all, and Jack is a great guy anyway. Super nice and friendly, even to the mean guests. The two hit it off, just two nice people being around each other and I think Paul really appreciated Jack's kindness. Then something that usually doesn't happen, happened. Paul invited Jack to his house later in the week. So, Jack takes him up on it and goes to Paul Reubens house one afternoon. As Jack recounts the story to me, I'm on the edge of my seat. I'm wondering if anything bizarre happened obviously as this just normally doesn't happen. Jack continues: Paul greets him and invites him in. Paul shows Jack around him home, and the two eventually have sandwiches for lunch. And then. After a nice afternoon visit, Paul walks Jack to the door and Jack leaves. That's it. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, some strange detail to emerge... But no, that was the end of the story. The story of a kind man who honestly made friends wherever he went, happy to share a sandwich with a production assistant who made his life a little easier the night he went onto a talk show. Kindness when most can't even make eye contact. Maybe Paul was a lonely person looking for a friend to visit him, someone to host and spend time with, I don't know much about his personal life, but I do know that I've never heard a story quite like that one. I just thought to share and express how special Paul Reubens was.

Indeed, though one might expect such a story to end with something ostentatious — such as Reubens leading the friend on a country-wide trek to find a lost bike — it doesn't need to in order to still be a touching and meaningful tale. A nice conversation goes a long way, as the following two mini-anecdotes prove.

From barbershops to weddings, it seems like Paul Reubens was always up for a conversation or two, and was equally willing to turn those convos into lasting friendships. 

Another long and lovely story below from a father who used Pee-Wee Herman content to bond with his young daughter while going through a divorce, which then turned into a personal connection that meant the world, even though the actor sadly passed away before the daughter could meet him at an age where she'd actually appreciate it.

• @BeisbolCardBlog: In 2013, I was going through a nasty divorce and bitter custody battle. My ex-wife took our home, and I had to move into a motel temporarily. To make matters worse, she wouldn't let me see our daughter except once a weekend in exchange for "child support". During those weekends, I spent every waking minute taking my daughter all over Sarasota, never knowing when I'd be able to see her again. At nights, we'd binge on #PeeWeeHerman for months until she became the world's youngest Pee Wee fan. In 2014, with the divorce behind me and now having full custody of my daughter, I emailed Paul Reubens on Facebook of all things to thank him for making my childhood so much fun and for helping my daughter and I through hard times. Shockingly, he responded with an inspirational message and asked me for my phone number. Honestly, I was terrified, but I gave it to him. The next day, Paul called, and we talked for 10 minutes about the divorce, my job, my daughter, and of course, his amazing work. He asked me to save his number and to call him next month as he was going out of town for a few weeks. A month later, I gave him a call, and amazingly, Paul Reubens invited us to his mother's home in Sarasota. He met my daughter, who was only 3 and showed us props from his show and movies and even fed us juice and snacks by his private lake where my daughter chased ducks. We didn't want to overstay our welcome so we left within the hour but I will never forget the day my daughter and I got to hang out with the person who showed us just how fun even the most mundane activities could be with a little imagination. Thank you, Paul. ❤️🙏❤️

Even when it didn't lead to life-long friendships sparked from mundane moments, Paul Reubens still had a way of making his mark on others' lives, as it goes with the story below:

Those working with and for Reubens on his projects were no doubt privy to his personality and behavior as much as anyone, and animator Michael Davis' story seen below is seemingly proof that the performer didn't consider himself to be above anyone else. 

Obviously there were a ton of celebrities paying their respects to Paul Reubens and his many roles, and even though those anecdotes aren't quite the same as casual tales from random public, I think it's worth sharing this message from Baywatch vet David Hasselhoff, who was roommates with the Pee-Wee actor in college. 

Getting a Muppets-related gift from Paul Reubens would be almost too much. One can only hope that somewhere out there in the ethers, Reubens and Jim Henson are hanging out and being amazing.

Finally, here's a story from Gotham's Solomon Grundy actor Drew Powell that is kind of more about David Bowie than Paul Reubens, but still brings it all back around to the Pee-Wee star in the end.

• @thedrewpowell: One other #PaulReubens story which involves one of my favorite pics of all time(a thread). The amount of famous people that came to see the @peeweeherman show on Broadway was staggering. Everyone from #Prince to a young early @TheDailyShow @iamjohnoliver. Hell, one night #LouReed and @SalmanRushdie came together! Paul will always receive them in a special room and the rest of us cats would casually walk by and pick our heads in to see who was in there. One night @DavidBowieReal and #Iman were there with their kids. Of course I had to work my way in there. My wife who had just flown back to LA because she was heavily pregnant is a huge Billy fan, and I knew I needed to get a shot for her sake if nothing else! So I quickly made a sign, and as he was leaving, I asked David for a quick picture. Everyone else was too afraid to ask but I was like “my wife’s pregnant…help a brother out!” he obliged, although, as you can see in the picture maybe begrudgingly. Paul’s assistant at the time, Scott, snapped a picture and send it to me later that night. With the subject:  “Look who photo bombed you!” 😂 And there it was…me, in a goofy hat with my goofy sign, David freakin Bowie, and #peeweeherman over his shoulder… A moment I won’t forget. #RIP to both icons….

The most recent widely released Pee-Wee content available is the Netflix feature Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, so here's hoping that gets even more eyeballs than before now that everyone is mourning the comedian's passing. And when watching, keep in mind that the director talked to CinemaBlend at the time about how aware Reubens was of just how different his Pee-Wee behavior needed to be when going from the stage to TV to film. 

R.I.P. to one of the nicest, most dapper gents in Hollywood and beyond. 

Throughout TV, movies, and pop culture in general, Paul Reubens was an icon. Mostly known for his character Pee Wee Herman, Reubens made the world smile and laugh with his eccentric creation through projects like Pee Wee’s Big Adventure as well as Pee Wee’s Playhouse. That legacy of joy is remembered bittersweetly today, as Reubens has been reported to have died at 70. 

News broke through Paul Reubens’ official social media presence, with his passing being confirmed as having taken place last night. Sharing one last photo of Paul, as well as further details of his death due to cancer, this is how that announcement was made:

Born Paul Reubenfield in 1952, Reubens was the oldest of three siblings and already an entertainer throughout his childhood. His eventual creation of Pee-wee Herman would take place in 1978, during a stint with the famous improv group The Groundlings. 1981 saw the act evolve further with The Pee-wee Herman Show, which resulted in the character being captured for an HBO special of the same name. 

However, between 1985 and 1986 would represent the big break for Paul Reubens, as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse would hit theaters and television in those respective years. The Tim Burton movie, as well as the CBS-run kids show that followed it, increased the awareness of Pee-wee to the wider world. 

And for a generation of the young and young at heart, the opening number to Pee-wee's Playhouse meant that Saturday mornings between 1986 and 1991 were going to be an absolute treat. Take a look at that trip down memory lane, below: 

As much as Paul Reubens’ legacy was defined by Pee-wee Herman, it wasn’t the only thing of note in his career. The many non Pee-wee roles of Reubens saw the actor frequently pop up through major worlds in film, TV, and otherwise. Playing everything from an alien computer in Flight of the Navigator to the Penguin’s father in both Batman Returns and Gotham, his was a career of blending in and surprising the audience once they recognized him. 

No where was that better represented than in Reubens' spot in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast, as the 1992 origin film saw him play the comedic but terrifying vampire Amilyn. Also, his character RX-24’s Star Wars journey lead this iconic droid from the first Disney attraction based on George Lucas’ landmark sci-fi series into several appearances through franchise lore. Which, naturally, included RX-24’s role in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, as a robot DJ who seems more at home behind a turntable than in the pilot’s seat. 

For as much variety as there was in Reuben’s career, Pee-wee Herman will still always be a calling card the man will be known for. His final film role would cement that in 2016, 28 years after Big Top Pee-wee’s release, when he’d return to that very role for the Netflix original movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday. 

Paul certainly hadn’t lost his touch at that point, as our Pee-wee’s Big Holiday review saw Eric Eisenberg cite the film as, “wonderful adventure” that honored the character. Some viewers have even returned to Pee-wee's Big Adventure, spawning interesting thoughts from those who have done so.

The spirit of Pee-wee Herman and Paul Reubens will live on, and we here at CinemaBlend would like to share our deepest condolences with his friends and family. May they be comforted as they navigate this time of grief and remembrance.

Before the TV show earned its spot in pop culture history the Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie gave us a campy teen movie about a valley girl who is from a long line of vampire hunters. This was Kristy Swanson’s breakout role, but did you know other actors like Ben Affleck and Hilary Swank also got their start in this movie? Keep reading to see what they, and the rest of the cast are up to today.

Kristy Swanson (Buffy)

Before Sarah Michelle Gellar was launched to stardom on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV show, Kristy Swanson originated the titular role of everyone’s favorite cheerleader turned vampire slayer. Although the film was a box office flop, it found new life on home video and has since become a cult classic. After Buffy, Swanson had a string of early-'90s hits including Charlie Sheen hits Hot Shots! and The Chase. After a string of box office bombs in the late-'90s, Swanson transitioned to TV work.

In 1998 she had a starring role in Early Edition, a pre-Friday Night Lights Kyle Chandler series, and has had a steady stream of guest roles including a recurring role as Marlowe Viccellio on the fan-favorite USA series, Psych, and recently-moved-to-Paramount+ series, SEAL Team. Swanson has also been frequently collaborating with fellow TV star Dean Cain on a bunch of religious-themed movies, and also a play focused on former FBI Agents Peter Strozk and Lisa Paige, a role for which Swanson has revealed she has received death threats.

Donald Sutherland (Merrick) 

As Merrick, Donald Sutherland portrayed the original watcher to Buffy’s slayer, the person who guides and mentors her through her vampire hunting. Sutherland was a popular actor prior to Buffy, with a career dating back to 1962 and appearing in films such as the popular firefighter drama, Backdraft. Sutherland’s post-Buffy work has also been impressive, starring in over 50 roles, including The Italian Job, the Oscar-winning Cold Mountain, and the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. More recently, he appeared in the hugely popular Hunger Games franchise as the villainous President Coriolanus Snow.

Sutherland is no stranger to television either, with supporting roles in several shows including ABC’s popular, but short-lived Dirty Sexy Money, the FX oil drama Trust, and most recently as Nicole Kidman’s father in the HBO miniseries, The Undoing. The unique timbre of Sutherland’s voice has also netted him a string of voice work over the years, including a series of commercials for Delta Airlines. As a native son of Canada, Sutherland also did voice work for the 2010 Winter Olympics which were held in Vancouver, where he also got to be a flag carrier.

Ben Affleck (Basketball Player)

Bet you forgot Ben Affleck was in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, didn’t you? An uncredited, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, Affleck briefly appears as a high school basketball player, who apparently had his line dubbed over. What’s he been up to since then? Just becoming one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, as well as a critically acclaimed director. Oh, and he was Batman. Really, you could stop it there, he was Batman. Just Kidding! Affleck’s early career includes being the Leonardo DiCaprio to Kevin Smith’s Martin Scorsese, but what really put him on the map was winning an Oscar for co-writing the 1997 hit, Good Will Hunting, alongside his Bostonian Best Friend, Matt Damon.

After a stint as one of Hollywood’s leading men in the late '90s and early 2000’s, Affleck’s career came crashing down after co-starring in the maligned, Gigli, alongside then girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez. A few years spent in actor jail gave Affleck the time to reinvent himself as a director, including critically acclaimed hits Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo. Of course, one of his most high profile roles in the last decade has been portraying Batman in the Snyderverse including the recently released Zack Snyder's Justice League, which he is set to reprise in The Flash, due in 2022 from Andy Muschietti.

Hilary Swank (Kimberly)

Who knew Buffy The Vampire Slayer would launch the careers of not one, but two Academy Award winning stars? While Buffy was Swank’s first film credit, playing Buffy’s cheerleader friend, Kimberly, it certainly would not be her last. Her first breakout role came in the 1994 fourth installment of The Karate Kid, cleverly titled, The Next Karate Kid. After some TV movies and even a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 alongside fellow Buffy alum Luke Perry, Swank rocketed to the top of Hollywood’s A-list with her Oscar winning performance in the 1999 drama, Boys Don’t Cry, a role Swank has said if she was offered today she would turn down in favor of casting a transgender actor.

Swank also joined a rarefied list of double Best Actress winners after starring in Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed boxing drama, Million Dollar Baby, but her career began to slow down after that, though she did go on to have the title role in the Amelia Earhart biopic, Amelia, as well as roles in P.S. I Love You, Logan Lucky and 55 Steps. More recently, Swank is back in the mainstream, appearing alongside Buffy alum Donald Sutherland in FX’s Trust, and the short-lived Netflix astronaut drama, Away. She also voiced the role of Joey Pogo in BoJack Horseman.

Rutger Hauer (Lothos)

Rutger Hauer’s most iconic role actually came before his turn as Lothos in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Sci-Fi fans will remember him as Roy Batty from the groundbreaking 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner. After a slew of '80s films, Hauer was cast in mostly low budget movies and television. Genre fans might remember him from some guest spots in Smallville and True Blood, and a part as the acting CEO of Wayne Enterprises in Batman Begins. Hauer passed away in 2019 at 75 of what was reported as a “short illness”. Check out a supercut of Hauer’s wonderful bizarre Guinness ads from the late '80s and '90s:

David Arquette (Benny)

Spoiler Alert: David Arquette has spent a lot of time as a professional wrestler. Arquette played Benny, Luke Perry’s friend-turned-vampire, who you might remember from the scene where Buffy slices his hot dog (this is not a euphemism). Arquette wouldn’t reach superstardom until 1996’s horror hit, Scream, playing Deputy Dewey. After a string of turn-of-the-millennium hits including the rest of the Scream franchise, Never Been Kissed and Eight Legged Freaks, Arquette’s career took an interesting left turn.

After starring in the 2000 comedy Ready to Rumble, about the now defunct WCW, Arquette took a real interest in the sport. While he’s still had a steady stream of supporting work and voice work, he’s made a very serious attempt at becoming a professional wrestler, which has culminated in the 2020 documentary aptly titled, You Cannot Kill David Arquette. Arquette is slated to reprise his role as Deputy Dewey in the upcoming Scream 5 due in January 2022.

Paul Reubens (Amilyn)

Reubens will always be known for his iconic persona Pee-Wee Herman, which he inhabited during the '80s and into the early '90s. However, his career came to a screeching halt in the wake of his 1991 arrest for masturbation inside an adult movie theater in Florida. His role as Amilyn, Lothos’ henchman, came after this arrest at a time when he was taking on smaller roles that were mostly out of the spotlight. Since then, Reubens has made a career of supporting work including a guest stint on the '90s comedy Murphy Brown, which netted him an Emmy nomination.

A small part in the 1999 Johnny Depp drama, Blow, began a revival of his career, which has led to higher profile supporting work that has been very eclectic. Reubens has popped up on everything from 30 Rock, to the James Spader crime procedural, The Blacklist, and also a steady stream of voice work. His Pee-Wee Herman character has also been slowly brought back, which led to the 2015, Judd Apatow-produced film for Netflix, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday.

Randall Batinkoff (Jeffrey)

Batinkoff’s role as Buffy’s boyfriend, Jeffrey, landed him some starring roles in the early '90s, including a role in the Brendan Fraser drama, School Ties. Since then he’s been a working actor, with guest roles in films and TV, most notably as George Washington in the CW Arrowverse show, Legends of Tomorrow.

Paris Vaughan (Vicki)

As part of Buffy’s cheer squad, Paris Vaughan’s character of Vicki didn’t have much to do in the film. Vaughan had some early roles before Buffy, including Knightwatch, a brief '80s TV show about teen vigilantes that also was an early role for Benjamin Bratt, but hasn’t acted since a guest spot on The Wayans Bros. in 1995. According to IMDB she’s currently married to retired hockey player Russ Courtnall.

Michele Abrams (Jennifer)

Another of Buffy’s cheer squad members, Michele Abrams made a go of acting in the 1990s. Some of her other credits include the daytime soap, Days Of Our Lives, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman, and 7th Heaven. Her final screen role was in the 1999 TV movie Replacing Dad.

Luke Perry

Luke Perry’s Pike was the opposites attract, outcast love interest to Buffy’s cheerleader personality. The original bad boy, vampire killing boyfriend (eat your heart out, Angel), Buffy and Pike ride off on a motorcycle together. Coming into Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Perry was already a teen heartthrob thanks to his breakout turn as the bad boy (you may be sensing a pattern here) with a heart of gold, Dylan McKay on the seminal teen drama, Beverly Hills, 90210. While Perry did appear in a number of films, most ended up direct-to-video. He found more success in television, including memorable roles in the early HBO prison drama, Oz, as well as a starring role in the mid-2000’s Showtime post-apocalypse drama, Jeremiah.

Luke Perry also did theater, appearing in lead roles in adaptations of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and When Harry Met Sally… Perry roared back to pop culture in a big way beginning in 2017 taking a lead role in the CW megahit, Riverdale, playing Archie’s father. Sadly, Perry passed away in March 2019 after suffering a massive stroke. His final on-screen role was a small part he shot for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

With a TV reboot long in development, Buffy continues to stay relevant in media. Although the film was a flop, the cast is stacked with A-list Hollywood talent, and this cult classic has its spot in the pop culture pantheon. If you’re itching for a rewatch or jumping in for the first time, Buffy The Vampire Slayer is available to stream on Starz or buy on Amazon Prime Video. Make sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest updates on the latest Buffy updates.

Wheel of Fortune has fared quite well since it returned from its COVID-influenced delay, with TV viewers seeking out the kind of comfort programming that game shows fit into perfectly. (Especially now that Jeopardy! will be airing Alex Trebek's final episodes soon.) To capitalize upon its decades-long success, Wheel of Fortune is gearing up for a set of celebrity-filled primetime episodes, and ABC has now announced exactly who viewers will see buying vowels and solving puzzles, with The Price Is Right host Drew Carey in the mix along with The Bachelor's longtime host Chris Harrison.

Wheel of Fortune released a new video promo that revealed all of the 24 celeb contestants that will be competing for various charities during the game show's nighttime run in early 2021. Check out the full list below, which also includes names such as Grey's Anatomy star Chandra Wilson and Pee-Wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens.

Celebrity-infused special events are often a mish-mash of lesser-known actors and entertainers past their prime, but this lineup for Wheel of Fortune's primetime episodes is filled with big names from all over the TV-sphere. Beyond the aforementioned hosts Drew Carey and Chris Harrison, we've got other front-persons such as Queer Eye hist (and Dancing with the Stars vet) Karamo Brown, Nailed It host and comedian Nicole Byer, Card Sharks' Joel McHale, America's Funniest Home Videos' Alfonso Ribeiro, Supermarket Sweep's Leslie Jones, former The View host Sherri Shepherd, and Holey Moley's Rob Riggle and Joe Tessitore. Not to mention Jeannie Mae, who has been on The Real and Holey Moley. Kinda sounds like there's a bit of host bias happening here.

Beyond all those talented folks, Wheel of Fortune is also welcoming Joel McHale's fellow Community vet Yvette Nicole Brown – six seasons, a Wheel of Fortune episode and a movie? – Hallmark and Criminal Minds actress Rachael Leigh Cook, 90210's Jennie Garth, Supergirl vet Teri Hatcher, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec, the WWE's Maria Menounos, This Is Us' Chrissy Metz, SNL vet Kevin Nealon, A.P. Bio's Patton Oswalt, Pee-Wee and Mosaic vet Paul Reubens, Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. vet Constance Zimmer.

With 24 contestants, it's presumed that there will be at least eight different episodes of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune to go around, unless there are additional episodes for winners to face off or something along those lines.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune will make its grand debut on ABC on Thursday, January 7, at 8:00 p.m. ET. While waiting to see Drew Carey popping up on a completely different game show set, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring TV rundown to see what new and returning shows are on the way soon.

It's hard to believe that Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is already 35 years old. Certainly, it's weird to imagine Pee-Wee Herman getting older at all. This wacky, zany, family-friendly '80s comedy tells the story of an odd man-child, played by Paul Reubens (in his most iconic creation), who goes out on a cross-country quest to find his beloved bike once it inexplicably goes missing, and it's the sort of enjoyably bizarre character feature that's hard to explain but easy to enjoy.

Though expectations were mild upon its initial release, the film became a massive hit, resulting in Reubens' endearing character becoming a household name, while also launching the high-rising careers of first-time director Tim Burton and first-time composer Danny Elfman. Following this anniversary milestone, let's take a look back at the making of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and discover how it came to be. Here are some fun behind-the-scenes facts about the beloved comedy.

The Script Was Only 90 Pages Long

During the development phase of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, there were a number of ideas floating around for what the plot of the movie should be. There were talks of making it a a pseudo-adaptation of Pollyanna, for instance, before a custom bike given to Paul Reubens to ride around the Warner Bros. lot gave him a curious idea that was later developed into the movie known and loved today. Sure enough, for a film with as much simple charm as Big Adventure, it's perhaps not too surprising to know that the script itself wasn't especially long. According to Reubens, it was only 90 pages total, which makes sense since the movie itself is only 91 minutes. Nevertheless, the average Hollywood screenplay can often run between 100 to 114 pages. Therefore, this one is notably shorter, and not a single page was wasted.

Tim Burton Was Only 26 When He Directed Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Every filmmaker needs to start somewhere. By now, Tim Burton is one of the most well-known directors working in Hollywood. Several of his movies, including Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, and Ed Wood, to name a few, have become classics, and he's also behind several high-profile studio endeavors, including Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and, most recently, Dumbo. It's an astonishing career, and it all started with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

While this feature directorial debut doesn't feature every Burton signature, it's unmistakably his movie. Therefore, it's very impressive to know that he was only 26 years old when he jumped behind the camera for this studio film. A Disney animator turned short film director, Burton was largely inexperienced. But Paul Reubens stuck up for him, resulting in their career-making movie. But he made it look as easy as riding a bike.

Phil Hartman Co-Wrote Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

The late Phil Hartman was an immense talent, and his legacy leaves a long shadow. In addition to his outstanding history on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, to name only a couple of his high-profile projects, he's also the the co-writer on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. In addition to his writing credits, Hartman also makes a brief cameo near the end as an inquisitive reporter.

Paul Reubens And E.G. Daily Didn't Meet Until Filming

At its core, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is a love story between a man-child and his bike. It's a tale of an adolescent man trying to reunite with his favorite possession, and the hardships and outlandish occurrences that occur in the midst of this personal turmoil. But outside of this loose-fitting plot, there's also a burgeoning romance shared between Paul Reubens's Pee-Wee and E.G. Daily's Dottie, a bike shop employee who fancies a date with the store's well-dressed frequent customer.

Pee-Wee doesn't express interest in her desires, and even by the movie's end, he doesn't seem to show any strong romantic feelings for her. Yet, the stars themselves do share a casual, breezy chemistry together, which is why it's surprising to know that they didn't even meet until they were on-set. At least, that's what E.G. Daily said during an anniversary screening.

In 2014, Pee-Wee's Bike Sold On eBay For $36,600

Movie memorabilia holds a special place in the hearts of movie lovers anywhere, and it's certainly understandable why. When projected onto the silver screen, any ole' materialistic item becomes a part of movie history. A hat isn't simply a hat anymore. A dress isn't merely a dress. Similarly, Pee-Wee Herman's bike isn't simply a bike, though he would've proudly told you that anyway. It's an iconic piece of film history.

Sure enough, when one of the bikes that brought this piece of movie magic to life went on sale, it sold for a substantial price. Specifically, in 2014, when one of the bikes seen in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure found its way on eBay, it was auctioned for a whopping $36,000. That's a hefty price! But like I said, it wasn't simply a bike anymore. It was now a piece of movie history.

Tim Burton Makes An Unrecognizable Cameo

It's not uncommon for directors to make cameos in their own movies. Alfred Hitchcock is easily the most famous example/trendsetter, though several filmmakers have opted to hop in front of the camera for their movies. They're not always successful, but they're usually fun — if you're in-the-know. Director Tim Burton made a cameo in his first film, though you're forgiven if you don't remember or recognize it.

The first-time moviemaker jumps on-screen near the end of the first act as a thug who lurches at our title character in a dark alleyway and grunts, "Hey, man, you're new to this turf." This appearance amounts to less than 30 seconds of screen-time, and he's so cloaked in shadow, it's hard to know it's him. But that's Tim. Outside of his appearance, Burton also made a cameo in Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children.

Large Marge's Hair Was Modeled After Don King, According to Paul Reubens

To celebrate the movie's 35th anniversary, Paul Reubens stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote a series of anniversary screenings for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, promising to reveal some never-before-heard behind-the-scenes facts about the making of this iconic film. When the talk show host pried for more intel, Reubens was hesitant to divulge any info, but he did let one factoid slip. In this televised interview, Reubens claimed that Large Marge's hairstyle was modeled after Don King, the famous boxing promoter.

Certainly, the truck driver character, played by the late Alice Nunn, and the controversial sports figure do share a similar 'do, though it's hard to tell if Reubens is sincere or if he's just joking. Either one seems plausible, especially for a jokester like Reubens. Nevertheless, if accepted at face value, it's an interesting inspiration.

Pee-Wee's Playhouse Was The Result of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Not The Other Way Around

It's a common misconception that Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is the big-screen follow-up to Pee-Wee's Playhouse. In fact, it's the other way around. When Paul Reubens was putting together this comedy classic, his character was known merely for his stage performances. He was a character at The Groundlings and, later, the subject of his own stage show.

Warner Bros. took a chance when it came to making a movie centered around this oddball creation, and while they weren't sure what to make of it, it proved to be a triumphant and unlikely success. Therefore, there were folks wondering how Reubens would follow it up. The idea was proposed to make a cartoon show based on the character, but since Pee-Wee is already such an animated personality, they opted to go live-action instead. Thus, we got Pee-Wee's Playhouse.

Danny Elfman Was Initially Apprehensive To Work With Tim Burton... If You Can Believe It

Over the past 30-plus years, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman have shared a fruitful working history together. The filmmaker and the musician-turned-composer have collaborated on 16 different productions, including (but not limited to) Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman (for which he won a Grammy), Big Fish (for which he was Oscar-nominated), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, which Burton produced but didn't direct.

This long-standing partnership began all the way back with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, when the director attended the musician's concerts with his band, Oingo Boingo, and felt he was right for the job. But surprisingly enough, Elfman hesitated. As he noted in a Rolling Stone interview, he carried no former musical training, so he wasn't sure if he could do it. Nevertheless, it worked out splendidly. As Elfman said, he was aware of the Pee-Wee character, but didn't know who Tim Burton was:

The Animators Behind Large Marge's Haunting Shot Also Worked On Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Elf, Team America: World Police, and More

Undoubtedly among the movie's most memorable moments, the shot of a demented Large Marge bulging out her eyes and scaring the bejesus out of hitchhiker Pee-Wee Herman cemented itself in the minds of children and adults everywhere. It's a beguilingly terrifying image in an otherwise kooky but good-natured road trip comedy, and it showcases a spooky sense of style that was signature to Tim Burton's brand in the years to follow, particularly (and especially) with his follow-up, Beetlejuice. If there's only one shot you remember from this movie, it's this one. And you can thank/hate The Chiodo Brothers for it. They worked on several films/shows throughout the '80s, '90s, and early '00s, including (but not limited to) Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Elf, Team America: World Police, and several episodes of The Simpsons.

Tim Burton Had Ambitions To Shoot At The Dinosaur Location Even Before He Was A Working Filmmaker

Have you ever seen a distinctly unique place and thought to yourself, "This would make a great location for a movie someday!" If so, you're not alone. Filmmakers are always imagining what something might look like on the silver screen, and Tim Burton is certainly no exception. The director wasn't a filmmaker yet when he visited the Dinosaur location that plays prominently in the middle of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, but he knew that he was gonna put it in a movie someday. Sure enough, Burton found a way to sneak it into his first film, and it's now a vivid cinematic backdrop for one of the movie's most intriguing sequences. It's a credit to Burton's young creative eye that he thought about the big picture this early-on, but he's a born filmmaker.

Do you love Pee-Wee's Big Adventure? Can you believe that the movie is already 35 years old? Let us know in the comments!

Saturday Night Live has served as the jumping off point for countless comedians throughout the show's 48-year history, but just because someone doesn't make it on the show doesn't necessarily mean their career is over. Do names like Donald Glover, Jim Carrey, Aubrey Plaza, and Jennifer Coolidge sound familiar? Well, they should, as each of them became comedy superstars in the years following their failed SNL auditions. Here are some of the biggest comedians who didn’t make the cut but still found success in the entertainment industry. 

Jennifer Coolidge

Over the course of the past quarter-century, Jennifer Coolidge has had a remarkable career, with big-screen appearances in movies like American Pie, Legally Blonde, and various Christopher Guest mockumentaries. And more recently, Coolidge stole every one of her scenes on The White Lotus, a performance that won her multiple awards. But as she explained in a 2004 Los Angeles Magazine oral history on The Groundlings sketch comedy troupe, she tried out for Saturday Night Live alongside future cast members Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, and Chris Kattan in 1995 prior to her career really taking off:

As great as it would have been to see Coolidge week-in and week-out with some of the best SNL casts of all time, it’s hard to say if we would have ever been given iconic characters like Tanya McQuoid.

John Mulaney

In addition to being one of the best standup comedians with a collection of tremendous specials, John Mulaney was also a longtime writer for Saturday Night Live. But as Mulaney explained in the SNL Stories from the Show video in April 2020, he was originally brought on to audition as a member of the cast back in August 2008. A few days after the audition, which included a spot-on Law & Order bit, the comedian received a phone call that would change his life: 

Mulaney would go on to create the unforgettable Stefon character with Bill Hader, come up with some of the most absurd SNL musical numbers, and become one of the sharpest and most honest standups of his generation.

Tiffany Haddish

In the past decade, Tiffany Haddish has established herself as one of the biggest comedians on the planet with smash hit movies like Girls Trip, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and the upcoming Haunted Mansion, but as the actress and Ali Wong discussed at the Tuca & Bertie premiere (via Decider) in 2019, Haddish tried out for Saturday Night Live prior to her career really taking off.

Joking about the situation, Haddish said she told SNL that she would be hosting “next time,” and that’s exactly what happened. But not only did Haddish host the sketch comedy show in November 2017, she also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2018 for her guest spot that night. 

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling has been a powerful force in the entertainment industry throughout the past decade-and-a-half thanks to a long list of incredible shows like The Office, The Mindy Project, and Never Have I Ever. But as the decorated comedian, actress, and writer told The Daily Beast’s The Last Laugh podcast in 2019, she was close to adding Saturday Night Live to her resume:

Though Kaling was initially excited about the opportunity, she was forced to turn down the writing gig because of her contract for The Office and an agreement she made with executive producer Greg Daniels. She would call the whole situation “life-changing.”

John Goodman has hosted Saturday Night Live more than a dozen times over the years, and is one of the most prolific members of the five-times club, but he was almost a member of the show’s cast way back when. During a 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Golden Globe winner opened up about his failed audition for the show in 1980:

Obviously, Goodman wasn’t too sore about the rejection, as he’s hosted the show 13 times over the years, and has made countless cameos during that same stretch of time.

Marc Maron

Over the years, Marc Maron has gone from tenacious standup comedian to prolific podcaster with his WTF with Marc Maron podcast, and has even found a great deal of success as an actor. However, the one big what-if from his career that’s always stuck with him was his failed 1995 Saturday Night Live audition, which he has talked about time and time again on his podcast over the years.

Back in 2015, when Lorne Michaels appeared on WTF, Maron finally asked the SNL executive producer for some clarity on the situation. When Maron asked if he wasn’t a right fit for the show, Michaels explained that he was fine, it was just that the show was going through a massive transition at the time and they didn’t know how all the pieces would fit.

Kumail Nanjiani

Similar to John Mulaney and Mindy Kaling, Kumail Nanjiani was once asked to audition for Saturday Night Live to only receive an offer to join as a member of the writing staff. But unlike Mulaney, who worked as a writer for years, and Kaling, who had to turn down the offer, the Eternals star served as a member of the writing team for one week, as he told Vulture in 2012.

Nanjiani said he tried out because “you can’t not audition for SNL,” and was offered a chance to write sketches for a few weeks, but ultimately had prior engagements that prevented him from staying longer than a single show. But like a lot of people on this list, Nanjiani would go on to host SNL in 2017.

Jack McBrayer

Jack McBrayer, best known for his turn as Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock, a show that was executive produced by none other than Lorne Michaels. But the hit comedy series wasn’t the first time McBrayer had an interaction with the SNL creator, as the actor and comedian auditioned for the sketch show years ago. During a 2014 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, McBrayer joked about his failed audition, saying:

McBrayer went on to cross his fingers and say “Wel, they never said no,” in reference to his tryout alongside his longtime friend. But hey, everything worked out for McBrayer in the end, even if no one called to break the bad news.

Donald Glover

Donald Glover would become a star with his starring role in the NBC comedy Community, but the comedian, actor, writer, and musician was almost a member of a completely different show when he auditioned for a spot on Saturday Night Live in 2008. How and why Glover didn't earn a spot still baffles a lot of people, including Glover, who made a joke of his two failed auditions when he hosted SNL in 2018 

But don't feel too bad for Glover as he went on to have great success on television, in movies, and even in the music industry under his Childish Gambino moniker. 

Aubrey Plaza

Aubrey Plaza was another future star in the making when she auditioned for a spot on Saturday Night Live in 2008. After being introduced to SNL at a very early age, Plaza told the Guardian that she always wanted to be on the show and did everything she could do in order to get there, which ultimately led to her interning on the program in 2005 and the auditioning in 2008.

And though she didn't make the cut, Plaza ended up securing a gig as one of the funniest characters on Parks And Recreation, and the rest is history. In the years following her failed audition, Plaza has become one of the funniest actresses in film and television with her absurdly awkward and dark sense of humor. And she even went on to host SNL in January 2023. 

Ellie Kemper

It seems like so many of the SNL hopefuls from the late 2000s would later go on to find success on other NBC programming, which is also the case for Ellie Kemper. Before the future star earned the starring role on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Kemper found success as a member of The Office cast. During a 2018 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Kemper revealed that even though she hasn't spoken to Lorne Michaels since her failed 2008 audition, she doesn't hold anything against him, stating:

Though she never joined the SNL cast, Kemper finally got to stand on the stage for a brief reunion with her fellow cast from The Office when Steve Carell hosted the show in November 2018. 

Nick Kroll

Before he went on to star in The League and his own sketch comedy show, Kroll Show, and the Netflix animated series Big Mouth, comedian Nick Kroll was a member of the same auditioning class as his future collaborator John Mulaney back in 2008. During an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Kroll revealed that he in fact had a memorable, yet extremely awkward interaction with Lorne Michaels, stating:

Kroll went on to say that everything worked out the way it should have because he ended up securing a role on The League the following year and became a comedy star shortly thereafter.

Stephen Colbert

Although not as shocking as his Saved By The Bell audition, The Late Show host Stephen Colbert also tried to join the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1996. Colbert was part of the round of auditions that would eventually lead to Tracy Morgan getting a spot on the show. Colbert joked with Morgan about his failed audition during the former 30 Rock star's 2017 appearance on The Late Show, where Morgan revealed that he didn't remember the incident, stating:

According to Colbert, he and Morgan were both part of the same callback after the first round of auditions, but he was the odd man out. Colbert, however, would go on to briefly work on SNL, where he voiced Ace on the Ambiguously Gay Duo animated segments alongside Steve Carell. Colbert would go on to become a Daily Show correspondent before landing his own show, The Colbert Report, and then taking over for David Letterman on The Late Show in 2015.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey has gone on to host Saturday Night Live multiple times over the course of his career, but the Canadian comedian looked at earning a spot on the cast before he found great success in the 1980s. In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lorne Michaels revealed that he wasn’t at Carrey’s audition, but someone who was there passed on the future star, saying they didn’t “think Lorne would like it.”  

Carrey would end up getting a spot on In Living Color a decade later, and was quickly catapulted into superstardom within a few years. It’s safe to say he did okay for himself despite not making the cut for SNL. 

Kevin Hart

You wouldn't think it, but Kevin Hart had probably one of the most disastrous Saturday Night Live auditions in the history of the show. Before he went on to perform sold out shows at Madison Square Garden and headlining countless hit comedy movies, Hart tried his luck at the sketch comedy show. During a 2015 appearance on Conan, Hart explained why you shouldn't do an impression of a basketball player no one knows:

Despite not making the cut for Saturday Night Live, it's safe to say Kevin Hart has had one heck of a career.

Zach Galifianakis

Years before he became a comedy superstar in The Hangover trilogy, Zach Galifianakis auditioned for Saturday Night Live, and got hired, but as a writer instead of a cast-member. During a 2019 episode of The Off Camera Show, Galifianakis explained that he didn't know at the time that he wouldn't actually be performing on the show, stating:

He would last a couple of weeks on the writing team before he moved on to other things. In the years following, the comedian has become a star in his own right and continues to provide laughs with his offbeat humor.

Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens is better known as the man-child Pee-wee Herman, but the world might not have ever gotten the oddball character if it weren't for the actor's failed Saturday Night Live audition in 1980. During the 2007 Sketch Fest (via SF Gate), Reubens revealed how hurt and outraged he was after being rejected, stating:

Reubens would go on to have a long career in the entertainment industry with his signature Pee-wee Herman character, as well as roles in movies like Blow, Batman Returns, and multiple others. 

Lisa Kudrow

Before landing a gig on Friends, Lisa Kudrow auditioned for a spot on the cast of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s, which the show's executive producer Lorne Michaels regrets rejecting all these years later, as he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015::

It’s hard to imagine what Friends would have been like with Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay all those years.

Kel Mitchell

Kenan Thompson has gone on to become the longest-running cast-member of Saturday Night Live after earning a spot on the show in 2003. Thompson's old comedy partner, Kel Mitchell, wasn't as lucky as his friend and All That co-star. Mitchell auditioned at the same time as Thompson way back when, but thanks to an awkward audition, he knew it was over as he explained during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session:

In the years following his disastrous audition, Mitchel has gone on to appear on the series Game Shakers as well as an All That reunion and Dancing With The Stars.

Jordan Peele

This final entry is quite different from the rest as Jordan Peele was offered a spot on Saturday Night Live in 2008, but he had to turn it down after Fox wouldn't release the future star of Key And Peele from his MadTV contract.

Peele told the Hollywood Reporter in a 2019 interview that the incident motivated him to not only act and perform comedy but to also start producing his own projects. Over the next 10 years, Peele started the successful sketch comedy show, Key And Peele, before becoming one of the most groundbreaking minds in the horror genre with films like Get Out, Us, and Nope. 

Those are just a few of the dozens of comedians who failed to impress Lorne Michaels of senior writers of Saturday Night Live. While the long-running sketch comedy series may be a fantastic jumping off point for a comedian's career, it's clearly not the only way a talented comedian can make a name for themselves, as evidenced by so many of the successful people we mentioned above.

Those are just a few of the dozens of comedians who found success despite not joining the Saturday Night Live cast. And who knows, maybe we’ll be seeing some of them come back in the future as SNL hosts when the show makes its eventual return after suspending production due to the 2023 WGA strike. 

Warning: spoilers ahead for the latest episode of Gotham.

Gotham has a history of choosing wonderfully quirky actors to bring crazy characters to the small screen, and never has the show been so on the nose in casting than when the man behind Pee-wee Herman was hired to play Penguin’s dad. The resemblance between Paul Reubens and Robin Lord Taylor is uncanny, and Reubens brought the perfect balance between sincerely loving and super weird to his performance. Sadly, the relationship was not to last as Penguin’s dad died a gruesomely frothy death after drinking a poisoned sherry meant for his son. According to Paul Reubens, however, the first take of the scene was far from sad.

Paul Reubens’ reveal to ComicBook of his off-book interpretation of his death scene as Penguin’s dad – also known as Elijah Van Dahl – is so silly that it’s almost hard to believe that everybody on set wasn’t in stitches, but it does sound like Reubens took the joke well beyond a quick gag or brief blooper. Perhaps the director was too busy wondering if he’d wandered onto the set of an episode of Whose Line is it Anyway? to give Reubens the laugh he was looking for.

Given the silliness of the first take, the actual scene that hit the airwaves was all the more impressive. Elijah’s death featured the dark humor that Gotham always manages when combining the ridiculous with the tragic, but both actors absolutely brought their acting A-game. It was such a great death scene that the only real bummer is that we won’t get any more of the bizarre dynamic between the father and son. Paul Reubens was definitely the highlight of the new cast of characters in Penguin’s life, so it should be interesting to see if the nefarious stepmom and her evil kids prove more interesting now that Elijah is out of the game.

All in all, Paul Reubens was only on Gotham for two episodes, and many of the big beats of his story as Elijah were predictable, but he couldn’t have been a more perfect addition to the ensemble. It’s just a shame that Penguin’s dad didn’t have as much time as Penguin’s mom on the show.

To see how Penguin reacts to the death of his father and whether or not another poisoned sherry will be pushed his way by his new family, be sure to tune in to Gotham on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Earlier in Gotham Season 2, Oswald Cobblepot watched as his mother, Gertrude Kapelput, was mercilessly killed on Theo Galavan’s orders. Since then, the future Batman villain has been without any family, but next week, he’ll finally meet his father, Elijah Van Dahl, set to be played by Paul Reubens. After getting a sneak peek at Reubens’ Gotham look two months ago, a new picture has emerged of Oswald and Elijah together with Elijah’s other family.

Posing for the camera in their evening best, Oswald and Elijah are seen in the picture with Elijah’s wife Grace (played by Melinda Clarke), his daughter Sasha (played by Kaley Ronayne) and his son Charles (played by Justin Mark). Besides the family portrait, executive producer John Stephens told TV Insider that along with his wealth, Elijah has plenty of secrets, which will surely bubble up to the surface now that Oswald is back in his life. As for Elijah’s family, despite their dignified appearance, they’re unscrupulous in their own way. As Stephens put it:

This fits with the previous description of Grace, who, when previously announced for the show, wasn't mentioned as having any connection to Reubens’ character. After making a name for himself in the criminal underworld during Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2, Oswald has been taking a break from his illegal actives (in lock-up), but being around his father’s other family and their scheming may result in him rediscovering his darker tendencies. Gotham will feature Paul Reubens’ second portrayal of The Penguin’s father, having previously cameoed in 1992’s Batman Returns.

Warning: spoilers for this week’s Gotham episode are ahead!

After taking the blame for Theo Galavan’s murder in “Mr. Freeze,” Oswald blamed his actions on being insane. While not true, this earned him an extended stay at Arkham Asylum, where he was subjected to Hugo Strange’s version of “rehabilitation.” After brutal shock therapy and some tests, Oswald was seemingly cured of his violent tendencies. He was subsequently discharged from Arkham this week in “This Ball of Mud and Meanness,” though when this decision was questioned by Strange’s assistant, Ms. Peabody, the bespectacled professor informed her that Oswald still has a part to play in his future plans.

As seen in the preview for next week’s episode, titled “Mad Grey Dawn,” Oswald will learn of his father’s whereabouts and be welcomed into the Van Dahl family. If they’re as bad as Stephens says, though, maybe he would have been better off not finding Elijah. In that family’s company, the chances of Oswald falling back into the Penguin lifestyle just increased significantly.

New episodes of Gotham air Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.

The character Pee-wee Herman, portrayed by Paul Reubens, has been a fun part of pop culture for more than 35 years now, and in that time has expanded across multiple mediums. Reubens first created Herman for the stage, but he broke out thanks to an HBO special, gained popularity with his television series, and even got to be the titular character of a few of his own movies. What you may not have noticed, however, is that each version of Pee-wee Herman varies a bit, as there is a certain degree to which the medium dictates just how "Pee-wee" Pee-wee can be.

With Pee-wee’s Big Holiday set to arrive on Netflix in mid-March, I recently had the pleasure of chatting with director John Lee about the project over the phone, and it was during our conversation that the filmmaker revealed a subtlety about Paul Reubens’ performance that fans may have not noticed before. Curious about the special weirdness that must come with directing Pee-wee Herman in a scene, I asked Lee about the process of discussing character motivation and delivery, and he explained why the Pee-wee on stage, on the small screen, and on the big screen are all just a bit different:

It’s an interesting thing to learn about Pee-wee Herman, if not just because a real part of the character’s particular charm is the fact that he’s kind of annoying. Very much a Peter Pan-like figure, he’s eternally optimistic, energetic and childlike, which can be a crazy amount of fun, but also be completely exhausting. When dealing with a theatrical environment (where everything has to be projected and "more"), or the small screen (which jams a full experience into 22 minutes), it makes sense than Pee-wee can be a bit bigger and intense – but that wouldn’t really make any sense in a 90-120 minute movie due to a burnout factor. So the film version of Pee-wee is still very much Pee-wee, but one that doesn’t cross the line into "too much."

Pee-wee’s Big Holiday will be dropping on Netflix on March 18th, and be sure to stay tuned here for more from our fantastic conversation with director John Lee!

Every once in a while, a TV show will land not just a good or a great piece of guest casting, but rather the absolute perfect actor or actress to take over a role. A few months back, it was announced that Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Reubens would play the father figure of Oswald Cobblepot on Gotham, and our rampant anticipation has been temporarily justified by our first look at Reubens in character.

As shared on Twitter by executive producer Danny Cannon, everything about this shot is perfect, and Paul Reubens almost looks like he should be playing an older version of Penguin, rather than just the family patriarch. It’s not like Reubens and Robin Lord Taylor look exactly alike or anything – with noses turning in different directions – but they do share a certain something that suggests they come from the same family, and it’s not just the umbrella. Birds of a feather?

It’s not like this is Reubens’ first shot at playing the elder Cobblepot, either. Back in 1992, he donned a monocle to play the role in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. And while he looked great back then, as seen below, he has aged into the role excellently, and the updated look is much more suited to the grim underworld of Gotham than Burton’s stylized universe.

I think Gotham’s producers should have reached out to Danny DeVito to come in and play Penguin’s brother or uncle or something, but we’re not really complaining.

I can’t wait to see how Reubens and Taylor get along on screen. Penguin has been in a period of mourning ever since his mother died, and he’s formed a unique friendship with the Riddler. Will his Pops have some fatherly advice about finding better compadres, or will he be in full support of his son’s burgeoning criminal empire? Also, will we get to see him jump up on top of a table to dance in front of a bunch of bikers?

It’s not clear when we’ll see Paul Reubens popping into Penguin’s life on Gotham, but we do know the comic drama will return to Fox for the rest of Season 2 on Monday, February 29. To see when the rest of your favorite shows are premiering and returning, check out our midseason schedule.

Robin Lord Taylor’s Oswald Cobblepot has been one of the most compelling characters on Gotham from the beginning, and now the show looks to be fleshing out the character's backstory a bit further by introducing his dear old dad. Well, maybe he won’t be so dear. Or old, really. He will be played by Paul Reubens, which might be the greatest casting we’ve heard all year, and is definitely the greatest casting news we’ve heard today. That’s right, Pee-wee Hermann is going to be The Penguin’s father.

It was Robin Lord Taylor who initially broke the news this weekend at New York Comic-Con. And although we didn’t get a ton of details regarding the casting, he did seem about as enthusiastic at the prospect of having Reubens play his dad on the show as we are. Per THR, Taylor said:

This won’t be the first time Paul Reubens has signed on to play The Penguin’s father. He also fulfilled the role in the 1992 movie Batman Returns, which is doubly interesting, as now he'll play a similar gig on the big and small screen. We don’t know yet if the role will be that of a guest stint or something meatier, although Penguin’s mother, Gertrud did pop up in several episodes of Gotham during Season 1, so anything is possible. Cobblepot’s father hasn’t really seemed to be in the picture so far, so I’m interested to see how Fox’s comic book-oriented show will flesh things out related to this upcoming plot.

Reubens is currently pretty busy, so it’s great that he can come in and do a stint on Gotham sometime this season. The actor also has new movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday in the works with Netflix, making the actor even busier. It's expected to premiere in 2016.

As far as Gotham goes, the plot has been pretty crazy and fast-paced throughout the first few weeks of Season 2. Much of the focus has been on Theo Galavan and the rise of the villains, including Barbara and the recently-late Jerome. However, Cobblepot has come into his own as the head crime boss in Gotham City, and even struck a deal with Jim Gordan, who has finally started to see the value in working with the bad guys running the city, however much it hurts his moral compass. Penguin even did him a solid when he got him reinstated with the GCPD, but Gordon also had to do Penguin a favor, which ended up forcing the police detective to truly get in bed with the baddie. We’ll see how that “friendship” plays out in the coming weeks. I’m guessing it’ll probably be as interesting as introducing a father figure.

You can catch new episodes of Fox’s Gotham on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET. Or catch who else Gotham cast recently, here.

We’re pretty excited around these parts for Netflix’s upcoming movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, which sees Paul Reubens return to his beloved alter ego. The cast has been coming together, and now they’ve added Jessica Pohly in a potentially badass role.

According to Variety, Pohly will make her feature film debut in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday playing the leader of a gang of bank robbers, which is awesome because that means Reubens’ ridiculous little man child is going to come into contact with a gang of bank robbers. We’ve seen him run afoul of bikers before, knocking over their precious motorcycles, so it’ll be interesting to see how he gets out of this sticky situation. Perhaps it will involve more sweet dance moves, or maybe he has some more tricks up his sleeve.

Though she’s never appeared in a full-length film, Pohly has shows up in small roles on a variety of TV shows, including Rake, Modern Family, and Super Fun Night, where she played characters with names like Female Pedestrian, Impatient Mom, and Female Bartender. This isn’t to imply that she’s some kind of acting virgin, far from it. She’s created roles with playwrights like Pulitzer Prize-winner Adam Rapp and Adam Szymkowicz (House of Payne), and she’s even toured with the American Shakespeare Center.

We don’t know a ton about Pee-wee’s Big Holiday at the moment, but Pohly joins a cast that we recently learned also includes True Blood and Magic Mike star Joe Manganiello. We don’t know who he plays, but Reubens shared a photo of them via social media just the other day. What little we do know about the plot is that there is a critical encounter with an unusual stranger (maybe Manganiello?), that compels Pee-wee to go on his very first holiday, which reportedly turns into an "epic story of friendship and destiny." Sounds about right.

Paul Reubens and Paul Rust (Arrested Development, Comedy Bang! Bang!, The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway) wrote the script. Produced by Judd Apatow and directed by John Lee (Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, Wonder Showzen), whatever the story is, this promises to be one hell of a good time. And now we know that there are bank robbers, which only sweetens the deal even more.

There’s no hard and fast release date just yet for Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, but Netflix will handle all of distribution details, premiering the film across all of its territories. Filming kicked off back in March, so we’ll likely be seeing more photos, casting news, and plot details trickle in over time.

There has been a lot of talk about the new Judd Apatow-produced Pee-wee Herman film since we first heard about the project years ago. Now we finally know what the plot of the long-awaited Paul Reubens vehicle is going to be... and let me just say it sounds fantastic.

According to a recent press release, the new film entitled Pee-wee's Big Holiday will see a fateful encounter with a peculiar stranger inspire Pee-wee to venture out on his very first holiday in this "epic story of friendship and destiny." A simple yet appropriate setup for everyone's favorite bowtie wearing man-child. In other words, it is the perfect plot to help springboard the return of the iconically unconventional character's hyper-hilarity and over-the-top reactions.

It was back in 2010 when news of the collaboration between Apatow and Reubens first surfaced. Back then all we knew was that the Anchorman producer was interested in bringing Pee-wee back to screens and that Reubens and actor Paul Rust (Arrested Development, Comedy Bang! Bang!) were onboard to write the script. Things sort of died down after that until the project began gaining steam in recent years. Then in 2013 it was announced that the movie had a director, but Reubens, perhaps in the spirit of his quirky childlike Pee-wee persona, wouldn't share his name. We now know first-time feature film director John Lee, co-creator of Wonder Showzen, will be helming the project with production set to begin next month.

It has now also officially been announced that Netflix will be the distribution partner of choice for Pee-wee's Big Holiday. The leading subscription on-demand video streaming service has agreed to exclusively premiere the adventure comedy in all of its territories. All parties involved seem very excited about the news, particularly Reubens, who had this to say:

Reubens has been working hard over the last few years to reintroduce his beloved 80s-90s character Pee-wee to modern audiences. Back in July of 2012 he hilariously voiced The Dark Knight Rises trailer as Pee-wee for a skit on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. It went over so well with audiences that Fallon reprised the skit again later that year in November with a Pee-wee voiced World War Z trailer. Check that one out below:

Reubens more recently took the driver seat in TV on the Radio's music video for "Happy Idiot," a collaboration that couldn't have come together better. Reubens also appears in the David O. Russell (under the pseudonym Stephen Greene) film Accidental Love, co-starring Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, Tracy Morgan and Bill Hader, released earlier this month. Where did this movie come from and why haven't we heard about it until now?

We've seen the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer and it's perfect. We've seen the inevitable Avengers 2 trailer/Pinocchio mash-up and that too was pretty perfect. Next up is something a little less expected but no less amazing. A Pee-wee Herman dub of the Avengers 2 trailer, recorded by none-other than Paul Reubens...

Paul Reubens Pee-Wee version of the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer does a fine job of taking pretty much all of the creepiness and edge out of James Spader's sinister Ultron. Ruben also adds a classic Pee-wee giggle to the Hulk and throws in a la-la-la at the end to really give the trailer that Pee-wee charm. Ok, he doesn't dub the whole trailer. But Pee-wee Herman doesn't have to dub the whole trailer, Dottie. He lived it!

As Paul Reubens and Jimmy Fallon discussed leading up to the clip, Fallon has actually done these Pee-wee trailers before, impersonating Reubens classic character for trailers like World War Z...

And The Dark Knight Rises...

Jimmy Fallon does a great Pee-wee Herman impersonation, but there's nothing like the real thing. Comedian Paul Reubens is well known for his portrayal of the child-like Pee-wee Herman, who was at the center of a number of Reubens' screen (and stage) projects, including the beloved kids show Pee-Wee's Playhouse, which is now available on Blu-ray. Reubens non-Pee-wee roles include voicing the part of Pavel in Tron: Uprising on TV, Bat-Mite for Batman: The Brave and the Bold and guest spots on The Blacklist, Star-Wars Rebels and Adventure Time, among numerous other appearances and voice work that go a bit further back. On the big screen, Reuben's non-Pee-wee claims to fame include playing Penguin's father in Batman Returns and the vampire Amilyn in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie ("You ruined my new jacket! Kill him a lot!")

Avengers: Age of Ultron is set to arrive in theaters on May 1, 2015. If you haven't watched the spectacular trailer enough times already, check it out after the jump! And watch the great Pinocchio/Avengers 2 trailer mash-up Here.

Pee wee-Herman is returning to the big-screen, according to Paul Reubens. And while the actor hasn't given too much away regarding a third cinematic adventure for the beloved children’s character, he has teased that an announcement regarding the feature is coming "imminently."

Paul Reubens made the cataclysmic statement during an interview with Rolling Stone, which was actually orchestrated to celebrate the upcoming release of the re-mastered Blu-ray box-set of Pee-wee Playhouse. During the end of his chat, the interviewer gently probed, "One last question: There were some rumors going around that you were working on another Pee-wee movie. Any updates on that?" Reubens then delivered the hugely exciting news that the speculation was indeed correct by declaring, "There’s going to be a big announcement any minute now." Unfortunately that didn’t mean that Reubens took 60 seconds to compose himself before delivering further details. Instead, he revealed that the movie will be "made shortly after the new year." Said the actor,

Fingers are crossed that Paul Reubens’ dream will actually come to fruition. Since 2009 he has teased on numerous occasions that his beloved character will return in some form or another. In 2011 a limited run stage production, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, ran in Los Angeles and New York and proved to be a rather spectacular success. It was even nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special after an extra performance was recorded for HBO. Oh, and it sold over $3 million in advance tickets too.

Paul Reubens played Pee-wee Herman throughout the 1980s. This started with the television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which ran between 1986-1990, but also included 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and its 1988 sequel, Big Top Pee-wee. The actor has previously revealed that he has written two scripts for future Pee-wee Herman films, one of which he referred to as adult Pee-wee and he insisted it included "Valley Of The Dolls moments." Paul Reubens even said that he’d approached Tim Burton, who directed Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and Johnny Depp at one point about having the latter play the character. Given these past developments, it's hard to say whether or not Reubens’ newly planned Pee-Wee Herman film will actually get made. In fact, I’ll only really start to believe him when someone else says it is happening.

Even though he’ll be turning 61 on August 27th, Paul Reubens will always be a child at heart. Specifically, a big grey-suit and bow-tie-wearing child named Pee-wee Herman. And while the silly and slightly psychotic character had his heyday back in the late 1980s, he has experienced a resurgence in the last few years, with a Broadway show and constant talks about returning to screens both big and small. In fact, the L.A. Times reports Reubens has confirmed the upcoming Judd Apatow-produced Pee-wee feature film has landed its director. Only Reubens is playing coy and he isn’t telling anybody who it is yet.

Reubens says the script he co-wrote with comedian Paul Rust is finished and that the film’s financing has been secured, with production set to begin at some point in 2014. While it would have been pretty amazing to get Apatow in the director’s chair, I seriously doubt that’ll be the surprise. What about if the franchise came full circle and landed Tim Burton for the job? (Burton’s first feature was 1985’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure). A Freaks and Geeks reteaming of Apatow and director Paul Feig would also be pretty spectacular.

Also on the horizon is a new TV series, though there aren’t any conceptual details to go on here. It might be a return to Pee-wee’s Playhouse, or it might be something else entirely. So long as it takes place far, far away from the setting of the completely misguided Big Top Pee-Wee, I’ll be a happy guy. Reubens only says an announcement regarding the show is “imminent.”

"Short of something unforeseen like the studio going out of business, I think it’s very likely both these projects will happen next year," he said. I can think of worse things coming in 2014. At least this isn’t a remake or a reboot with a completely different creative team behind it.

Reubens isn't only keeping himself busy with his signature role either. He recently signed on for a role in the Once Upon a Time spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and has a line or two in Smurfs 2 as Jokey Smurf. Why only a line or two?

“My theory is that it’s because of the times,” Reubens half-joked. “Jokey Smurf in the cartoon would carry around a package that was a bomb. He’d give it other Smurfs as a present and then it would blow up. He’s a victim of the times."

Because it’s no fun saying the magic word when you’re all alone, get in the Playhouse spirit by watching the below video for the “Snack Time” segment of his Broadway show.

You can’t have a Wonderland-based series without a White Rabbit, and Paul Reubens, the actor most famous for portraying Pee-Wee Herman, has signed on to the Once Upon a Time spinoff, Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, to play the famous character. Just in case you were worried the series would pull a Wilfred and force Reubens into a big bunny costume, the rabbit will actually be a CGI-only character (like Jiminy Cricket) and Reubens will lend his voice to bring the character to life.

While we don’t know much about the White Rabbit as a character, we do know he will be joining Alice herself (Sophie Lowe), as well as her two brave companions, Cyrus (Peter Gadiot) and the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha). Deadline first reported the news, also noting the Mad Hatter (played by Sebastian Stan in OUAT) and the Cheshire Cat will likely appear. Emma Rigby has also signed on to the presentation as the Red Queen.

The spinoff begins shooting this week for a presentation that will go to ABC heads to determine whether or not the project is something worth pursuing. If it does go to series, the project may air during the winter hiatus of Once Upon a Time, which could make it an ideal fit for a network that is hoping bring in audiences during the holiday season. OUAT creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will executive produce, alongside Steve Pearlman. Additionally, Ralph Hemecker, who has directed plenty of episodes of OUAT, is directing the presentation. We’ll let you know how Once Upon a Time in Wonderland does at ABC in the coming weeks.

It must be a pretty sweet to be a Tron fan right now. No new material for decades and then a big budget sequel and an animated show within months of each other. I bet this is how children feel when their birthday is within a few days of Christmas. Arduous wait, non-stop happiness, arduous wait.

The new trailer for that aforementioned animated series dropped today, and it is every bit as visually beautiful as you might expect. It focuses heavily on the racing sequences, but near the end, there’s a good bit of plot. Take a look for yourself below…

Featuring voicework from a splendid cast including Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore and Paul Reubens, Tron Uprising promises to be a detailed and costly event. It bridges the gap between the two movies, highlighting the search for a new Tron. Based on these pictures, I wouldn’t expect it to quite live up to the lofty bar set for the theatrical release, but for being on television, the graphics are about as spectacular as you’ll find.

The one thing I’m not quite sold on is the script. Tron: Legacy had more than a few story arc problems, and with scriptwriters Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis penning the animated version, it’ll be interesting to see whether they thrive with more time to expand the premise or crumble under the weight of putting together so many hours of programming.

Tron Uprising will get a ten part microseries this fall before fully unveiling on Disney XD the following summer.

Last year some truly awesome news came across our desk that a new Pee-wee Herman movie had entered into development and that Judd Apatow would be the guy getting it done. The plan was to have Paul Reubens and Paul Rust write the screenplay with Apatow serving as the film's producer. Now there's whispers that that may change a little bit.

The Wrap, reporting from the Television Critics Association winter press tour, reports that Apatow may actually be the one to step into Tim Burton and Randal Kleiser's shoes and be the next man to direct a Pee-wee Herman movie. Speaking with Reubens, the actor said that the Knocked Up director has yet to decide if he wants to sit in the big chair and is waiting to see the script. Reubens and Rust have already turned in the first act, and Reubens, who showed up in character, says that the movie is very much in the vein of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and describes it as a "road picture."

A big thing that might stand in the way is the recently announced project that Apatow will direct featuring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters from Knocked Up. That project is set to start shooting this summer, so unless Apatow plans to direct the two back to back or the script takes a lot longer than expected, it may not work out. Whoever ends up directing it, hopefully we'll just get another Pee-wee Herman movie at some point.