John Paragon, an actor, director and writer most familiar from his disembodied, teal-faced role of Jambi the Genie on Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee’s Playhouse, died April 3 in Palm Springs of unknown causes. He was 66.
Paragon’s death, only recently made public, was confirmed to Deadline by the Riverside County Coroner.
In addition to his work with frequent collaborator Reubens — he also voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl on Playhouse — Paragon is remembered by Seinfeld fans as Cedric, half of the couple Bob and Cedric who appeared occasionally to browbeat Michael Richards’ Kramer. In the famous episode “The Soup Nazi,” Paragon and actor Yul Vazquez, as Bob, stole an armoire that Kramer was guarding for Elaine (Julia-Louis Dreyfus).
Paragon was, like Reubens, a member of the Los Angeles comedy troupe the Groundlings, and contributed to the writing of early stage performances featuring the Pee-wee Herman character. The Jambi character carried over from the...
Paragon’s death, only recently made public, was confirmed to Deadline by the Riverside County Coroner.
In addition to his work with frequent collaborator Reubens — he also voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl on Playhouse — Paragon is remembered by Seinfeld fans as Cedric, half of the couple Bob and Cedric who appeared occasionally to browbeat Michael Richards’ Kramer. In the famous episode “The Soup Nazi,” Paragon and actor Yul Vazquez, as Bob, stole an armoire that Kramer was guarding for Elaine (Julia-Louis Dreyfus).
Paragon was, like Reubens, a member of the Los Angeles comedy troupe the Groundlings, and contributed to the writing of early stage performances featuring the Pee-wee Herman character. The Jambi character carried over from the...
- 6/18/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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