Lynne Marie Stewart, best known for her role as Miss Yvonne on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, has passed away at the age of 78. Her friends and colleagues, including Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and Saturday Night Live alum Laraine Newman, confirmed the news on social media, remembering her as a kind and talented performer.
Peterson paid gift to Stewart on Instagram, calling her “one of the sweetest, sweetest, funniest people who actually lived”. She added,” The memorable Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll often be’ the most beautiful lady in Puppetland'”.
Newman echoed related views, writing,” Lynne Stewart was really an angel and beautifully funny and an important part of our Groundlings home”.
Stewart, a Los Angeles local, was a longstanding member of the Groundlings, the improvisation and sketch comedy band where she first met Paul Reubens, the father of Pee-wee Herman. She was part of The Pee-wee Herman Show step production in 1981, playing Miss Yvonne, a figure she later reprised in Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which ran from 1986 to 1990.
She also appeared in several Pee-wee-related films, including Pee-wee’s Big Adventure ( 1985 ), Big Top Pee-wee ( 1988 ), and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday ( 2016 ). Although she did not portray Miss Yvonne in the movie, she took on remarkable tasks such as Mother Superior and Zelda, a hairy woman, as per Extratv.com.
Fans of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, whose on-screen science had entertained generations of people, mourned the loss of Reubens ‘ dying in 2023 at the age of 70.
Beyond Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Stewart built an impressive occupation in television and film. She appeared in numerous jobs on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Bonnie Kelly, the well-intentioned but careless mom of Charlie Kelly, a role she played from 2005 to 2023.
She also made guest appearances in traditional TV series such as M*A*S*H, Laverne &, Shirley, Night Court, The Golden Girls, and Raising Hope. Her film credits included American Graffiti ( 1973 ), The Running Man ( 1987 ), and Bridesmaids ( 2011 ), according to NJ.com.
Stewart continued to be a fixture at fan conventions and meetings despite losing her connection to Miss Yvonne, a precious figure, for decades.
Her departure marks another loss for enthusiasts of Pee-wee Herman’s funny world, just weeks after Reubens ‘ death. The most beautiful woman in Puppetland has left us, Newman wrote in her tribute.
