Pee-Wee Herman actor Paul Reubens' cameo in Quiz Lady explained

In his last appearance in a movie, the late actor Paul Reubens, who is known for playing Pee-wee Herman, featured in Quiz Lady. The much-loved actor died in July this year and fans around the world showed appreciation for his role in the hit 2023 comedy film.

Despite being known for playing Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee's Playhouse and other titles, he showed off his range and talent in other roles as well. His last on-screen moment was in Quiz Lady, a movie about two sisters, played by Awkwafina and Sandra Oh, who try to make it big on a game show.

An ongoing joke in the film was Holland Taylor’s character's inability to distinguish between Alan Cumming and Paul Reubens. Reubens, known for his humor, conveyed through his role that he was okay with people getting him confused with his friend. A hilarious mix-up between the duo in the film made the actor's last performance even more special.

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Quiz Lady: Paul Reubens' last on-screen role

Paul Reubens made a special guest appearance in Quiz Lady, alongside the main characters of the title, Awkwafina and Sandra Oh. Jen D'Angelo, who wrote and produced the film, spoke to Cinema Blend about how the team got Reubens to make a special appearance and said:

"I was just sort of thinking of like what is a satisfying celebrity cameo that we can pay off? And I love Alan Cumming, and I love Paul Reubens. They're both amazing. And that idea just sort of came to me that I was like, I think it's really funny."

The Pee-wee Herman actor's appearance in Quiz Lady included a mix-up between him and his lookalike Alan Cumming. This came after Francine claimed throughout the film that she loved Cumming but always got confused between him and Paul Reubens.

She was over the moon when he thought she saw Alan Cumming in the quiz show’s studio lot, however, it was the Pee-wee Herman actor. He went along with the ruse as he did not wish to hurt her feelings and also spoke in Cumming's Scottish accent.

Reubens' appearance in the film was a special one as he played two characters, himself and Cumming.

People often got confused between the duo and Cumming acknowledged this in his tribute to the late actor on Instagram as he wrote:

"When I was younger people always said I looked like Paul. When I met him he told me people always told him he looked like me. He was so kind and funny, sending hilarious themed videos every birthday and his Christmas cards were legendary and will be much missed."

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How did Paul Reubens die?

Paul Reubens, who played Pee-wee Herman, died on July 30, 2023, from acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to cancer, as per Screen Rant. Although he had been diagnosed with the illness years before his death, he never spoke about it publicly.

His representative told Fox News Digital:

"Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness."

Paul Reubens made a special appearance in Quiz Lady and viewers believed it was a great way to honor the actor's career. Fans can watch his final appearance on screen in Quiz Lady on Hulu.