HBO Unveils Trailer for Paul Reubens Pee-wee Herman Documentary

HBO has just unveiled the trailer for the upcoming Paul Reubens documentary to premiere on Friday, May 23. The two-part documentary film titled Pee-wee as Himself will chronicle Reubens’ lifelong run as the iconic character Pee-wee Herman, and it’s based on over 40 hours of interview footage. Director Matt Wolf was able to sit with Reubens before his death in 2023, and the documentary is the result of long interviews where they often clashed over creative control, and Reubens ultimately opened up about his sexuality.

Pee-wee as Himself also includes appearances by Pee-wee’s Playhouse co-stars Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Laurence Fishburne. Other stars include Debi Mazar, David Arquette, and Laraine Newman. The film is executive produced by Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, and Uncut Gems directors Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie.

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The HBO-produced project offers an inside look at Reubens’ beginnings in the industry as a multifaceted comedian, then becoming a worldwide sensation with the 1985 film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and landing icon status by reprising the Pee-wee role countless times. Reubens himself addresses the legal charges he faced in 1991 and then in the early 2000s. Per the documentary’s plot 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.”

The Hollywood Icon Who Fell From Grace But Eventually Got Up

In the 1980s, Paul Reubens was a huge media figure who couldn’t separate himself from his Pee-wee Herman persona. He was even required to play the character when appearing in public and giving interviews. That was the reason why the entire world was shocked when, in 1991, Reubens’ fall from grace actually began. He was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater, marking the beginning of a media blitz that basically buried Herman, a character famous for appearing on TV programs oriented towards children.

His career took a hard hit, and he would only play minor roles until 1999, when he was featured in the superhero film Mystery Men. In 2001, he showed his drama skills in Blow, and afterward, he mostly stayed behind the camera for voiceover work. In 2016, he reprised his Pee-wee role in the Netflix movie Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, his final feature film role. He posthumously appeared in the movie Quiz Lady, in which Reubens plays himself.

Reubens passed away from respiratory failure in 2023 after a battle with cancer. The public was not aware of his condition, and after his death, he addressed his Instagram followers with a message he had written before he passed: “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”

Source: HBO