Tim Burton on How the Late Paul Reubens ‘Helped Me at the Beginning of My Career’: ‘I’ll Never Forget’

Tim Burton is paying tribute to Paul Reubens following his death at age 70.

On Monday, the director, 64, addressed the loss of his colleague and friend in a post on Instagram, alongside a throwback photo of the pair on the set of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985).

“Shocked and saddened,” Burton wrote in the caption of his post. “I’ll never forget how Paul helped me at the beginning of my career. It would not have happened without his support. He was a great artist. I’ll miss him.”

Reubens starred in three of Burton’s movie projects, including the latter’s feature-film directorial debut, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and as the voice of Lock in 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, which Burton co-produced and wrote the story for.

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He also made an appearance as the father of Danny DeVito’s Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin in Batman Returns (1992) — a role he later reprised on the TV series Gotham, in a sense, as Elijah Van Dahl, the father of Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin.

“Really loved working with him. Very sad,” DeVito, 78, said in a statement to PEOPLE following the news of Reubens’ death on Monday.

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Celebrity Fans and Friends Remember Paul Reubens for His ‘Brilliant and Original’ Character Pee-wee Herman

The feeling of admiration between Reubens and Burton appears to have been mutual.

The actor spoke highly of Burton in a 2016 interview with Collider when asked what he saw in the now-legendary director that made him realize he was the right person to direct Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, despite not having a feature-directing experience at that point.

“I think it was the wallpaper in Frankenweenie, in the second shot of the movie,” Reubens said, citing the 1984 black-and-white short film from Burton, which the latter later turned into a full-length feature, in 2012.

He continued, “From the first minute of his film, I could tell that he was somebody who was very interested in style. He brought style to something, and a lot of young directors aren’t there yet. … I could tell that he had a style, and that he understood production design and art direction. There was a lot of stuff about that first film that felt perfect to me.”

“And I was young and new, so I didn’t realize how crazy it was to hire Tim Burton, at the time,” Reubens added. “And ultimately, in hindsight, it wasn’t crazy, at all.”

From L: Paul Reubens in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Batman Returns (1992) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Moviestore/Shutterstock, Warner Bros., Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock

Paul Reubens, Best Known as Pee-wee Herman, Dead at 70 After Years with Cancer: ‘A Treasured Friend’

Reubens’ rep confirmed his death in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, revealing that the actor, best known for his Pee-wee Herman character on television and in film, had cancer for years.

“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” read the statement.”Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit,” the rep’s statement continued. “A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”

The news of his death was also confirmed on Reubens’ official Instagram page.

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