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Pee-wee as Himself

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Pee-wee as Himself
Directed byMatt Wolf
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producers
ProducerEmma Tillinger Koskoff
CinematographyDavid Paul Jacobson
EditorDamian Rodriguez
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO

Pee-wee as Himself is a 2025 American documentary series directed and produced by Matt Wolf. It follows the life and career of actor and comedian Paul Reubens, best known for portraying the character Pee-wee Herman.

It is set to premiere on May 23, 2025, on HBO and Max.[1][2]

Premise

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Pee-wee as Himself explores the life and career of actor Paul Reubens.

In the documentary, Reubens came out publicly as gay in interviews taped before his death in 2023.[3] Reubens had implicitly acknowledged his homosexuality in 2004;[4] in the film, he states at various times being in and out of the closet.[4]

Production

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In March 2021, it was announced Matt Wolf would direct a documentary revolving around Paul Reubens for HBO Documentary Films, with Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie set to executive produce under their Elara Pictures banner, and Emma Tillinger Koskoff to produce.[5] In November 2024, the project was titled Pee-wee as Himself.[6]

Wolf spent over 40 hours interviewing Reubens, and was given access to the actor's large collection of photographs and video footage. The film includes a final message from Reubens, recorded the day before his death; he discusses his 1991 and 2002 arrests and the damage they did to his reputation, blaming homophobia for the tabloid fallout in both cases.[7]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byOriginal release dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Part One[8]"Matt WolfMay 23, 2025 (2025-05-23)TBD
2"Part Two"Matt WolfMay 23, 2025 (2025-05-23)TBD

Release

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It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.[9][10]

Reception

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Critical reception

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating based on 12 critic reviews.[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 78 out of 5 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2025
 2nd Gotham TV Awards Outstanding Original Film, Broadcast, or Streaming Matt Wolf and Emma Tillinger Koskoff Pending [13]

References

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  1. ^ "What's New On Max This May". Warner Bros. Discovery. April 21, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  2. ^ "'Pee-Wee as Himself' trailer: Meet Paul Reubens, the genius behind your favorite playhouse". Mashable. April 23, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  3. ^ "Pee-wee Herman star Paul Reubens comes out gay posthumously". The Advocate. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Goldstein, Richard (January 14, 2003). "Persecuting Pee-wee Herman". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
  5. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 11, 2021). "HBO Planning Documentary On Actor Paul Reubens With Josh & Benny Safdie Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  6. ^ "Max Unveils New Brand Spot With Never-Before-Seen Footage From HBO And Max Originals". Warner Bros. Discovery. November 10, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  7. ^ Brennan, Matt (January 23, 2025). "In deathbed audio, Paul Reubens recalled pain of being falsely labeled a pedophile". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  8. ^ "HBO Original Two-Part Documentary PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF Debuts May 23". Warner Bros. Discovery. April 23, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  9. ^ "Pee-Wee as Himself". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "Pee-wee as Himself: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  12. ^ "Pee-wee as Himself: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  13. ^ Lewis, Hilary (April 29, 2025). "Gotham TV Awards Nominations: 'Adolescence' Leads With Four Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
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