The Heartbreaking Death Of Pee-Wee's Playhouse Star John Paragon
John Paragon, who is best known for playing the role of the Jambi the Genie on the classic show, "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," has died, TMZ reports. While news of Paragon's death is just now making the rounds, the outlet reports that the actor died in April, per the Riverside County Coroner. Paragon was 66 years old at the time of his death; however, no cause of death has been revealed as of yet.
Fans of the beloved series, which aired from 1986-1990 and starred George McGrath, Allison Mork, Paul Reubens, Ric Heitzman, Wayne White, and more (via IMDb), took to Twitter to send their condolences to Paragon's family and friends. "He was truly the Paragon of comedy. He was also the first person I ever heard say a wordy dird. RIP," one fan wrote, while another said, "Just heard @groundlings legend & bud John Paragon passed. I can't describe how brilliant he was at that theater. Jambi, Ramon, Happy Joe, The Breather, the list goes on and on."
John Paragon was a prolific comedian, writer, and actor
On top of his iconic role as Jambi the Genie on "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," John Paragon also appeared on "The ½ Hour Comedy Hour," "Going Berserk," "Cheeseball Presents," "Cheers," "Every Breath," "Seinfeld," "Night Stand," and "Elvira's Music Macabre;" his most recent role was in "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday" in 2016 (via IMDb).
In addition to appearing on-screen as an actor, Paragon also lent his voice to multiple projects, including "Saturday Night Live," "Spaceballs," and "The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show." Paragon also served as a writer on the TV series "13 Nights of Elvira," "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," "The Cheech Show," and "Paragon of Comedy."
Before getting his start in Hollywood, Paragon was a regular at Groundlings, a sketch comedy troupe that helped launch the career of other A-list comedians and actors, including Melissa McCarthy, fellow "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" star Paul Reubens, Kathy Griffin, and "Saturday Night Live" stars Taran Killam, Mikey Day, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Chris Parnell, and more (via Groundlings).