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:
Andy and Pee-wee's Night Out Paul Reubens ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wVgfu0zfl1August 1, 2023
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.
