<P> Many now - well - known TV and film actors appeared on the show, including Sandra Bernhard, Laurence Fishburne, Phil Hartman, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jimmy Smits, and Lynne Stewart . Future heavy metal musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie was also a production assistant, and future filmmaker John Singleton was a security guard . </P> <P> Season 3 (which consisted of only three episodes) included an all - star Christmas special featuring the regular cast, with appearances by Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Magic Screen's Cousin played by Magic Johnson, Dinah Shore, Joan Rivers, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg, Little Richard, Cher, Charo, k.d. lang, the Del Rubio triplets, and Grace Jones . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Character </Th> <Th> Played by </Th> <Th> Description </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pee - wee Herman </Td> <Td> Paul Reubens </Td> <Td> The childlike "Host". Pee - wee is portrayed as an impatient and fun - loving child with dainty, effeminate mannerisms and quirky facial expressions . While the character is typically cheerful and flamboyant, he occasionally threw childish tantrums . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cowboy Curtis </Td> <Td> Laurence Fishburne </Td> <Td> A "cowboy" in the 1950s' pop culture sense with a jheri curl mullet . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Captain Carl (first season) </Td> <Td> Phil Hartman </Td> <Td> A gritty, unshaven sea captain with a gruff voice, but a somewhat shy demeanor, he came by the playhouse to show Pee - wee interesting things from the ocean . His tolerance for Pee - wee's antics was often tested whenever he stopped by . Captain Carl was more adult - oriented in the HBO special and Miss Yvonne appeared to have deep feelings for him . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Miss Yvonne </Td> <Td> Lynne Marie Stewart </Td> <Td> A woman obsessed with beauty and cosmetics, who often flirted with Pee - wee and many of the other male characters on the show, she was given the title "the most beautiful woman in Puppetland" by the puppet characters (especially Mr. Window, who would usually introduce her). Yvonne wore a large brown bouffant - style wig, gaudy dresses and heels, and her appearance was always accompanied by some sort of theme music . She, like Ricardo, also has a medical background, as evidenced by her nurse get - up and actions in "Pee - wee Catches a Cold". Unlike many regulars, Yvonne appeared in almost every Playhouse episode, and in a few episodes, she even danced with Pee - wee herself . Pee - wee appeared to have a slight crush on Miss Yvonne in some episodes, and most of the time commented on how beautiful she looked upon greeting her . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Reba the Mail Lady </Td> <Td> S. Epatha Merkerson </Td> <Td> A mail carrier who was often confused by the rules of the playhouse, over time, she gets really annoyed at having to be screamed at in her ears . She also had a pet dog which Pee - wee recovered when she lost him . She rarely acknowledged the viewing audience . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The King of Cartoons </Td> <Td> Gilbert Lewis (first season); <P> William H. Marshall (subsequent seasons) </P> </Td> <Td> He showed a brief cartoon clip during his segment . His catch phrase was "Let the cartoon begin!" The original King of Cartoons used a film projector to show the cartoons (which he would aim at the lens of the camera shooting the actual show). On later seasons, the King would turn on a television set with a remote control . The king sometimes appeared unsure of what to do, and people like Pee - wee would have to remind him it was time to show a cartoon . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tito <P> (first season only) </P> </Td> <Td> Roland Rodriguez </Td> <Td> The playhouse lifeguard, he usually came into the house during snack time or during a gathering . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ricardo </Td> <Td> Vic Trevino </Td> <Td> The soccer star with an apparent medical background, he replaced Tito after the first season . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mrs. Steve (first season only; mentioned in "Fire in the Playhouse" of season 4) </Td> <Td> Shirley Stoler </Td> <Td> A frequent visitor to the playhouse during the first season, she enjoyed eating and "snooping around" when Pee - wee was not seen . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ms. Rene </Td> <Td> Suzanne Kent </Td> <Td> A neighbor of Pee - wee's, she replaced Mrs. Steve after the first season . She is the polar opposite of Mrs. Steve, being much more tolerant and fun - loving . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dixie (first season only) </Td> <Td> Johann Carlo </Td> <Td> A taxi driver, she introduced the King of Cartoons in the first season by playing her trumpet (frequently referring to him as "King Cartoon"). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The Playhouse Gang (first season) </Td> <Td> Natasha Lyonne (Opal); Shaun Weiss (Elvis); Diane Yang (Cher) </Td> <Td> Three children who interacted with Pee - wee during the first season, they were replaced by three other children for the subsequent second season . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The Playhouse Gang (second season) </Td> <Td> Vaughn Tyree Jelks (Fabian); Alisan Porter (Li'l Punkin); Stephanie Walski (Rapunzel) </Td> <Td> Three children who interacted with Pee - wee, but only in two episodes of the second season, their only notable personality trait is that Li'l Punkin never spoke out loud by herself, instead whispering in Pee - wee's or other characters' ears . She spoke occasionally, but only in unison with the other two, and once she sang a song . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Character </Th> <Th> Played by </Th> <Th> Description </Th> </Tr>

Who played captain carl on pee wee's playhouse
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