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Pee-Wee’s Playhouse star John Paragon died of ‘cardiovascular disease with other significant conditions of chronic alcohol abuse’
- John Paragon died from ‘cardiovascular disease with other significant conditions of chronic alcohol abuse’ according to the coroner report
- The Riverside County Coroner reported he died at his Palm Springs home April 3
- The Alaska native famously played the role of Jambi the Genie on the beloved 1980s children’s television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse
- He was also the voice of Pterri the Pterodactyl on the hit show, which ran for a total of five seasons from 1986 until 1990
- Paragon earned an Emmy nomination for co-writing 1988’s Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special
Pee-Wee’s Playhouse star John Paragon’s death stemmed from ‘cardiovascular disease with other significant conditions of chronic alcohol abuse’ according to the coroner report.
The actor was 66-years-old when he passed away at his Palm Springs home back on April 3rd 2021, according to Page Six.
Paragon famously played the role of Jambi the Genie on the beloved 1980s children’s sitcom Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
RIP: Pee-Wee’s Playhouse star John Paragon’s death was caused by heart disease spurred on by ‘chronic alcohol abuse.’ He’s seen in 2014 above
Alaskan native Paragon’s death was announced on Thursday by the Riverside County Coroner, but the did not reveal the cause until the following day.
Jambi the Genie, which required John to rock blue face paint and an elaborate turban, would appear on screen when the series’ star Pee-Wee (played by Paul Reubens) would make a wish.
He also provided the voice for Pterri the Pterodactyl, who happened to be one of Pee-Wee’s closest onscreen pals.
Pee-wee’s Playhouse ran for a total of five seasons, from 1986 until 1990, on CBS, with Paragon writing and directing several of the episodes.
Where and when: The actor was 66-years-old when he passed away at his Palm Springs home back on April 3rd 2021
Iconic: Paragon famously played the role of Jambi the Genie on the beloved 1980s children’s television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse; Paul Reubens and John Paragon pictured in 1986
He first portrayed Jambi in Reubens’ self-developed stage show The Pee-wee Herman Show, which aired as a special on HBO in 1981.
The show originally began as a midnight show at the iconic Groundlings theater in Los Angeles, where he and Reubens got their start.
In 1988, two years into Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Paragon and Reubens co-wrote a nearly 50-minute Christmas special for the series.
The Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special aired on December 21, 1988 and would go onto earn John an Emmy nomination for for Best Writing in a Children’s Special, according to TheWrap.
In character: Jambi the Genie, which required John to rock blue face paint and an elaborate turban, would appear on screen when the series’ star Pee-Wee (played by Paul Reubens) would make a wish; John Paragon pictured in 1986
He also appear in the movies The Frog Prince (1986), Weird Al Yankovic’s UHF (1989) and the cannibal classic Eating Raoul (1982), as well as enjoying cameos on the show Seinfeld.
20-years after the conclusion of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on CBS, Reubens was able to wrangle most of the gang back together, including Paragon, to reprise their roles in the Broadway adaptation of Pee-wee Herman stage show in 2010.
Aside from his work in the Pee-Wee Herman universe, John has lent his acting chops to hit sitcoms like Cheers and Seinfeld.
He also had a recurring role in the 2010 revival of Elvira’s Movie Macabre playing The Breather alongside Elvira, herself, Cassandra Peterson.
Revival: 20-years after the conclusion of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on CBS, Reubens was able to wrangle most of the gang back together, including Paragon, to reprise their roles in the Broadway adaptation of Pee-wee Herman stage show in 2010
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