Pee-wee Herman turns 60

He may be eternally youthful at heart, but as of Monday, Pee-wee Herman (a.k.a. actor Paul Reubens) is two years away from taking early retirement. The actor celebrated his 60th birthday.

While 60 isn’t an unheard-of age for a children’s TV icon (Fred Rogers was filming “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” until he was 72), Reubens has managed to retain his young, energetic spirit as the years have worn on.

Here’s a clip of the original “Pee-wee Herman Show” at the Roxy Theater in L.A. in 1981. Phil Hartman makes an appearance as Captain Carl.

And here’s a clip from “The Pee-wee Herman Show” that he performed on Broadway in 2010, nearly 30 years later.

Not even Bob Keeshan was able to remain that unchanged in his 30 years as Captain Kangaroo. However, unlike Captain Kangaroo or Mister Rogers, Reubens only played Pee-wee continuously on TV for five seasons, from 1986 to 1990. And he only recently revived the character after leaving him dormant for several years.

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Join Patrick Kevin Day on Google+ or Twitter. Email: patrick.day@latimes.com

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