Reubens appeared in three of Burton’s films over the years and in addition to Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Reubens voiced Lock in The Nightmare Before Christmas, and he also played the father of Danny DeVito’s Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin character in 1992’s Batman Returns.
Reubens previously praised Burton and when asked why he chose Burton to direct Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, he said:
“I think it was the wallpaper in Frankenweenie, in the second shot of the movie. From the first minute of his film, I could tell that he was somebody who was very interested in style. He brought style to something, and a lot of young directors aren’t there yet. A lot of people who have directed for long careers still don’t have much style. So, I could tell that he had a style, and that he understood production design and art direction. There was a lot of stuff about that first film that felt perfect to me.”
And it really did turn out to be such a wonder first film for Burton and Reubens, one that I always enjoy watching!
Other actors to pay tribute include Natasha Lyonne, who got her start on television at age 6 as a member of the Playhouse Gang on Pee-wee’s Playhouse:
