He was one of many characters Paul Reubens inhabited.
Any of them could have been stars.
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If he came up against a reality that was too harsh to deny, he would deny it anyway.
But Pee-wee delivered it as if blessed by the ghost of Oscar Wilde.
Beneath it all, he was vulnerable.
He created the special after being rejected as a cast member for the 198081 season ofSaturday Night Live.
The best actors give you a tip of the iceberg feeling, and Reubens was one of the best.
But Pee-wee defined his career and then, in a strange, unforeseeable way, helped shatter it.
But theres no doubt the nature of Reubenss celebrity magnified the impact.
Hardly any of it makes sense.
Jones subsequently entered rehab with the encouragement ofDeadwoodcreator David Milch, who helped pay for his legal defense.
Over the next 18 years, Jones had just five acting credits, one being theDeadwoodreunion film.
But of course, the eclipse wasnt total because youve read about the ugliness here and probably elsewhere.
I know you are, but what am I?
gets you only so far.
The world Reubens built was beloved for making us think otherwise.
