Ten months after his death at age 70, the Los Angeles estate of actor, comedian, writer, and producer Paul Reubens—best known for his childlike, red bow tie-wearing alter-ego Pee-wee Herman—is available for the first time in almost four decades, asking just under $5 million. Built in the late 1950s and boasting nearly 3,000 square feet of living space, the midcentury ranch house sits atop a promontory in the sought-after Oaks neighborhood of Los Feliz and comes complete with views of the Griffith Park Observatory and the iconic Hollywood Sign from nearly every vantage point.
A California Institute of the Arts theater student and member of West Coast comedy troupe The Groundlings—where he originated his Pee-wee character in the 1970s—Reubens went on to become a film and TV sensation in the ’80s, starring in The Pee-wee Herman Show, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Big Top Pee-wee, and Pee-wee’s Playhouse. The recipient of a 1988 Hollywood Walk of Fame star, he’s also known for his work on Mystery Men, Blow, and Murphy Brown, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nod.
Though his image was somewhat tarnished in later years due to a couple of arrests—one for indecent exposure and another for possessing obscene material—he subsequently appeared in a new version of The Pee-wee Herman Show at L.A.’s Club Nokia and on Broadway, as well as the movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.
A glass-lined living room spills out to the backyard.
Sam Wadieh
As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, Reubens purchased the home for a mere $415,000 in 1985, at the height of his career, and resided there until he passed away in July 2023. Fully gated and resting at the end of a lengthy private road, the single-story structure is nestled amid a 1.4-acre parcel and features three bedrooms and an equal number of baths, plus restored yet largely original interiors boasting slate floors, wood-beam ceilings, and vintage wallpaper throughout.
A cozy den is warmed by a massive stone fireplace.
Sam Wadieh
Among the highlights are a fireside living room and an adjacent dining area with sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard. A “snazzy” den has a stone fireplace and a wet bar, while a kitchen is outfitted with yellow Formica countertops and an accompanying breakfast nook. There’s also a primary suite appointed with a seating alcove, a separate dressing area, and a bath that opens to an enclosed patio Reubens built to protect his cat Koko from the surrounding wildlife, along with two guest bedrooms that share a bath.
Reubens used to entertain friends at this al fresco barbecue area.
Sam Wadieh
In addition to a swimming pool and a spa, the park-like grounds are laced with more than 100 varieties of native shrubs and trees and host a barbecue area, a pergola-shaded lounging spot, a cactus garden, walking trails, and a waterfall that flows into a pond. An added bonus: a concrete patio sporting actual handprints signed by the likes of the comic’s friend and actress Debi Mazar.
In another celebrity-related connection, Reubens’s estate is also sited near two adjacent homes owned by Emmy-winning actress and stand-up comedian Sarah Silverman—one she bought nearly four years ago for $3.5 million and another she just picked up for $2.1 million.
The listing is held by Juliette Hohnen of Douglas Elliman.
Click here for more photos of Paul Reubens’s house.
Sam Wadieh
Source: Luxury - robbreport.com
