Pee-wee as Himself
| Pee-wee as Himself | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Matt Wolf |
| Music by | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Emma Tillinger Koskoff |
| Cinematography | David Paul Jacobson |
| Editor | Damian Rodriguez |
| Running time | 100–102 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | May 23, 2025 |
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 was released on May 23, 2025, on HBO and Max.[1][2]
Premise
[edit]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' sexuality had been discussed by certain outlets in the context of his 2002 arrest, though he had not publicly come out at that point;[4] in the film, he notes that at various times in his life he had been in and out of the closet.[3]
Production
[edit]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
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Part One" | Matt Wolf | May 23, 2025 | 0.153[8] | |
|
Reubens discusses his childhood, his beginnings in comedy, the origins of Pee-wee Herman, and the creation of Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Throughout the documentary, Reubens has some clashes with Wolf over his interview style and his inability to have creative control. | |||||
| 2 | "Part Two" | Matt Wolf | May 23, 2025 | 0.133[8] | |
|
Reubens discusses working on Pee-wee's Playhouse and the failure of Big Top Pee-wee. Reubens' friends and colleagues talk about his scandals and arrests and his return to playing Pee-wee. At the end, a caption reveals that after 40 hours, Reubens refused to talk about the scandals, and one last voicemail from him recorded the day before his death is played. | |||||
Release
[edit]It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.[9][10]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating based on 46 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus states, "Blessed to have the late Paul Reubens feature in candid conversation, Pee-wee as Himself is a revelatory glimpse at the complicated man behind a beloved comic creation."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 82 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]
Accolades
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025
|
2nd Gotham TV Awards | Outstanding Original Film, Broadcast, or Streaming | Matt Wolf and Emma Tillinger Koskoff | Won | [13] [14] |
References
[edit]- ^ "What's New On Max This May". Warner Bros. Discovery. April 21, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ "'Pee-Wee as Himself' trailer: Meet Paul Reubens, the genius behind your favorite playhouse". Mashable. April 23, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ a b "Pee-wee Herman star Paul Reubens comes out gay posthumously". The Advocate. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ Goldstein, Richard (January 14, 2003). "Persecuting Pee-wee Herman". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 11, 2021). "HBO Planning Documentary On Actor Paul Reubens With Josh & Benny Safdie Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (May 27, 2025). "Friday Ratings: Pacers-Knicks NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game Two on TNT Sports Improves Upon Game One Audience". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ^ "Pee-Wee as Himself". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Pee-wee as Himself: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Pee-wee as Himself: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (April 29, 2025). "Gotham TV Awards Nominations: 'Adolescence' Leads With Four Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (June 2, 2025). "Gotham TV Awards: 'The Studio' Named Breakthrough Comedy Series Among Early Winners". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 2, 2025.