HBO’s Safdie Brothers-produced Paul Reubens documentary, Pee-wee as Himself, has received a release date and official trailer. Both parts will premiere back-to-back on HBO and Max on Friday, May 23rd.
Directed by Matt Wolf, the documentary features over 40 hours of interview footage filmed before Reubens’ passing in July 2023, allowing the Pee-Wee Herman actor to open up about his personal and professional challenges. As reported in January following its premiere at Sundance 2025, Pee-wee as Himself sees Reubens coming out as gay and revealing why he was “conflicted about sexuality.”
Part One will dive into Reubens’ childhood and early career, while Part Two will delve into the highs and lows of his time in the spotlight. Watch the trailer below.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“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.”
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Other participants in the documentary include sister Abby Rubenfeld, Natasha Lyonne, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Tim Burton, and Judd Apatow.
For more on Paul Reubens, revisit our essays celebrating Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and his hilarious death scene from 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Content shared from consequence.net.