Paul Reubens talks about ‘Pushing Daisies’
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- November
- 20
Am I weird because I’m excited about Paul Reubens’ appearance on “Pushing Daisies” tomorrow night (8 p.m.)?
Somehow, I don’t think so. Or, at least, the rest of you who are joyfully doing the Tequila dance are just as strange as I am.
You know you’re eager to catch a glimpse of Pee-wee Herman again, even if Paul is playing a totally different character. On “Daisies,” he’s Oscar Vibenius, an olfactory expert who’ll have a recurring role on the series this season.
(Paul Reubens as Oscar Vibenius/ABC)
Unfortunately, because of the writers’ strike, that season will likely be cut tragically short.
Oscar was supposed to pop up a lot on “Daisies” this year, but given the circumstances, he’ll probably only be around tomorrow night and during the show’s ninth episode (which will probably be the season finale).
I talked to Paul last week about how he snagged the role on TV’s quirkiest show (a match made in heaven, I’d say!) and whether he’d ever play Pee-wee again (he’s working on it).
In real life, Paul is incredibly quiet, and boy, he sure doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about his image. At least, not that he’s willing to admit.
Guess you can’t blame the guy if he’s a little reserved with the media, given the field day that the press had with his 1991 indecent exposure arrest.
Read more about Paul in my story in today’s Journal News. He doesn’t talk about his brushes with the law anymore—been there, done that—but he does shed some light on what he’s been up to lately.
And if you’re interested in hearing what Paul sounds like out of character—I know I was—keep reading and check out some audio clips from my interview.
On how he snagged a part on “Daisies”
(Paul Reubens as Oscar Vibenius/ABC)
Turns out he’s a major fan of executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld (who directed the “Men in Black” and “Addams Family” films) and vice versa. Sonnenfeld and “Daisies” creator Bryan Fuller approached Paul about joining the show months before it even premiered. Here’s more of how that came about:
On growing up with the circus
(Paul Reubens as Paul Reubens/Associated Press)
I also asked Paul about growing up in Sarasota (he was born in Peekskill, N.Y., but grew up primarily in Florida), where the Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey Circus would call home in the winter.
He befriended folks like the Flying Wallendas, and the impact on Paul professionally is obvious. There’s a circus-like quality to Pee-wee; his 1988 film was “Big Top Pee-wee,” after all. Here’s what Paul had to say about what he thought of the circus performers as a kid:
Bringing back Pee-wee?
(Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman/Wikipedia)
But here’s what we really want to know: Are you ever going to play Pee-wee Herman again?
If Paul has his way, the answer’s yes. He loves that bow-tie guy so much, he’s working on scripts for two more Pee-wee movies. Here’s Paul talking about the character, and how people still love him:
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with those movies. In the meantime, check Paul out tomorrow night on “Pushing Daisies,” and however long it lasts this season!
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 9:00 am by Heather Salerno.
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Well, you are weird, but not necessarily because of this.