Best Paul Reubens Roles Besides Pee Wee Herman
What other roles did Paul Reubens knock out of the park besides Pee Wee Herman?
Sadly the recent news of the passing of Paul Reubens has brought fans out in support of the performer that many knew by his character name of Pee Wee Herman. The actor brought the character to life on stage before transitioning to film and television roles. After a scandal, he took a break from the character but would move on to play other roles.
Eventually, Pee Wee Herman would return, and fans once again applauded the character, letting Reubens play in a bigger spotlight outside the character. While we all love Pee Wee, what are the best roles that Reubens would have outside of the gray suit and red bowtie?
Lock - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Even outside the Pee Wee Herman character, Paul Reubens was easily recognizable in every live-action role he took. What a lot of people may not realize is that he did his fair share of voice-over work. One director he had a bond with was Tim Burton.
Reubens would show up as one of the mischievous children in The Nightmare Before Christmas who wanted to kidnap Santa Claus for their boss Oogie Boogie. Reubens voice is unmistakable as he really seemed to have fun with the role and even got to sing in the film.
The Penguin's Father - Batman Returns (1992)/Gotham (2016)
Working once again with Tim Burton, Reubens would play a small part as the Penguin's father, who sends him away floating in a basket down the river. He couldn't take his grotesque appearance and decided with his wife to send him away.
The part is a blink and you'll miss it type of role, but he would get a chance to flesh the character out when he returned as the Penguin's father on the TV series Gotham. This version was completely different, as he didn't even know he had a son. The Penguin's mother ran away before telling him she was pregnant. He is very warm and welcoming to Oswald (Penguin) and brings him into his family. When his father's wife kills him so that she will inherit his fortune, Oswald kills her and her children to get revenge.
Sir Malachi - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
Sir Malachi is a LARPing sparrow that traps the turtles in one of his games. The character was an average boy who liked playing Mazes and Mutants (I see what you did there), but no one would play with him. A canister of mutagen hits him and transforms into a large sparrow.
Scared that people will not accept his appearance, he hides in the sewers. One day he sees the turtles walking around the sewers and decides to set up a LARPing adventure without their knowledge. They soon find themselves trapped in a medieval adventure as Malachi has the power to create powerful illusions. Reubens really jumped into this role, and from the sound of his voice, you could tell he was having a great time.
Gerhardt - 30 Rock (2007)
30 Rock was known for some over-the-top plots, and this episode is no exception. Jenna (played fantastically by Jane Krakowski) is invited to a royal dinner. She hears a prince will be in attendance and wants to marry him so that she will become a princess. At the dinner, she meets Prince Gerhardt and finds that he has been deformed by centuries of inbreeding of this royal family. He has many ailments and physical deformities.
Played amazingly by Paul Reubens, this character and story helped set 30 Rock apart from other series at the time as they were willing to be utterly absurd while having fun. Sadly the character died at the end of the episode, so we never got a return from Reubens.
Derek Foreal - Blow (2001)
In this Johnny Depp film, Reubens got to play Derek Foreal, a marijuana dealer that helps Depp's character get into the cocaine business. Reubens gets to play against type in the role, and this was a big film for him as it helped him step outside of the more comedic roles he had up to that point. While there are still comedic moments, he could be a more low-key character and do something without a silly voice or appearance.
The Spleen - Mystery Men (1999)
This fun superhero movie about a bunch of misfit heroes gave Reubens something fun to do while letting him stretch his comedy chops a little. He does a bunch of fart jokes, so maybe it's not that much of a stretch. His character of The Spleen, was a man cursed by a mystic as a boy. Now he had very bad farts and could even expel them at will.
This makes him one of the less-liked heroes, and no one really wants to work with him. The team of Mr. Furious and The Shoveler reluctantly take him on, and he hopes to gain the respect he feels he deserves. His character has a great wardrobe throughout the film and has some great moments.
Batmite - Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2009)
The character of Batmite is a deep cut for most comic book fans, but Reubens can make the character very memorable in this series. He only appears four times throughout the series but makes an impact every time. Batmite can bend reality to his will and make anything happen. He also happens to be a huge fan of Batman.
His enthusiasm will sometimes get him in trouble with the Caped Crusader as he wants to help Batman defeat his enemies but usually ends up making a mess of the whole thing. Reubens exuberance while performing the character really pushes it to the next level and makes him a favorite guest star. He even shows up in the last episode and accidentally causes the show to get canceled in a meta twist that is perfect for the character.
Amilyn - Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)
In his first big on-screen appearance since leaving the Pee Wee Herman character behind, Reubens plays the head of the vampire gang that Buffy finds herself hunting in the film. Reubens character would have a goatee and longer hair, which was a lot different from the short-haired and clean-shaven persona he was known for.
He still got to have some fun comedic moments (his death scene is fantastic) but finally got to do something different than what he was used to. Reubens would bring the character back in a meta way during an episode of What We Do In The Shadows as himself during a meeting of the Vampire Council.
Max - Flight Of The Navigator (1986)
In his earliest voice-over role, he played Max, the spaceship that causes all sorts of time-travel shenanigans in the film by abducting a young boy, scanning his brain, and dropping him off in the wrong year. Looking back, it's obviously Paul Reubens doing the voice, even though it has been modified in editing.
Not wanting to overshadow the film since Pee Wee Herman had blown up by then, he used the pseudonym Paul Mall. He does the Pee Wee voice at one point as Max downloads all sorts of pop culture from the boy's brain. The role was great, and he nailed it because he had to make a sentient robot seem like he could connect and become friends with a human boy.
What are some of your favorite Paul Reubens roles? Let us know in the comments.