NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 14: Actor Paul Reubens ‘Pee-wee Herman’ speaks onstage at the 10th Annual TV … More
Pee-wee as Himself, a new two-part documentary on late actor Paul Reubens and his alter-ego Pee-wee Herman, premieres on streaming this week.
The official synopsis for the documentary partially reads, “Driven by a soul-baring interview with Paul Reubens, the man behind the iconic character Pee-wee Herman, Pee-wee as Himself is the definitive portrait of the comedic performer and a window into his never-before-discussed personal life.
“Determined to correct the record and tell the factual story of his life, Reubens excavates his kaleidoscopic influences, origins in the circus and avant-garde performance theater, and career choices, while reflecting on the reasoning behind, and the consequences of, severing his beloved alter ego from his authentic self.”
Reubens died on July 30, 2023, at age 70 after a private battle with cancer.
An HBO Original Documentary, Part 1 of Pee-wee as Himself premieres on HBO on Friday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, immediately followed by Part 2 at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT, per a Warner Bros. Discovery press release. Both parts of the documentary will also be available to stream on Max.
Directed and produced by Matt Wolf, Pee-wee as Himself features interviews with Reubens’ sister, Abby Rubenfeld, and artists Gary Panter and Wayne White, as well as actors Lynne Stewart, John Moody, Alison Mork, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman and Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Also featured in the documentary are interviews with directors Tim Burton and Judd Apatow. Burton made his feature film directorial debut in 1985 with Reubens’ Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, while Apatow directed the iconic actor in the 2016 Netflix original comedy movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.
What Can Viewers Expect To See In ‘Pee-Wee As Himself’?
According to Warner Bros. Discovery, Pee-wee as Himself is “woven together from over 40 hours of interview footage filmed before Reubens’ premature death in 2023, 1,000 hours of archival footage, and tens of thousands of never-before-seen photographs from his personal collections.”
The summary for the documentary also partially notes that the documentary “chronicles Reubens’ influences, from growing up in the circus town of Sarasota, Fla. to his avant-garde theater training at the California Institute of the Arts. Combining his love of performance art and comedy, Reubens joined the legendary Groundlings improv group, where he created Pee-wee Herman, the impish character that would come to define his career.”
Pee-wee Herman Ultimate Action Figure.
May is shaping up to be a Pee-wee Herman renaissance in pop culture. In addition to the release of the Pee-wee as Himself two-part documentary, collectibles company NECA recently released a 7-inch-scale Pee-wee Herman “Ultimate Action Figure.”
The action figure features Paul Reubens’ famed character in his trademark gray glen plaid suit, white shoes and shirt and red bow tie, along with a Pterri the pterodactyl accessory. Pterri (voiced by John Paragon), of course, was featured on Reubens’ classic series Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
Part 1 of Pee-wee as Himself — a documentary featuring Paul Reubens and his alter-ego Pee-wee Herman — premieres on HBO on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT, followed by Part 2 at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT. Pee-wee as Himself Parts 1 and 2 will also be available to stream on Max.
