What is Pee-wee as Himself all about? Everything to know about the upcoming documentary series

Pee-wee as Himself is an upcoming American documentary series directed and produced by Matt Wolf. It offers an intimate look at the life and career of Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian famous for his character, Pee-wee Herman. The documentary will premiere on May 23, 2025, on HBO and Max and air in two parts back-to-back.

The show uses over 40 hours of interviews, archival footage, and thousands of never-before-seen photos to examine Reubens' personal and professional life. It tells the story of how he became famous as an artist and then as Pee-Wee Herman.

It also talks about the problems he had, like scandals and what it was like to be famous. Reubens also talked about being gay in interviews that were recorded before he died in 2023. These interviews are shown in the documentary. Pee-wee as Himself shows how complicated Reubens' life was through honest conversations and contributions from friends, family, and coworkers.

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Everything to know about Pee-wee as Himself

Pee-wee as Himself will debut on May 23, 2025, on HBO and Max. The documentary airs as a two-part series, with both parts shown consecutively starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. It had its world premiere earlier that year at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.

Matt Wolf, known for making sensitive and artistic documentaries, served as the director for the series. Josh and Benny Safdie and Emma Tillinger Koskoff are the executive producers.

The docuseries addresses the controversies that affected his career and reputation, providing context around his arrests and media backlash.

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Plot of Pee-wee as Himself

The documentary starts by showing how Paul Reubens grew up and first wanted to be an actor. At the California Institute of the Arts, Reubens became interested in performance art after watching old TV shows like Howdy Doody and I Love Lucy. Through his training in avant-garde theater, he learned a unique style that mixed comedy and surrealism.

Reubens created Pee-wee Herman, a quirky character that became a cult favorite, while with The Groundlings. The documentary begins with Pee-wee Herman's rise to fame, including the 1985 hit Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Exploring Reubens' decision to live in character shows how fame shaped his identity.

The second part dives into the Emmy-winning children’s show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, celebrating its innovative production and message of diversity. It also discusses the darker side of Reubens’ life, including his 1991 arrest and the damaging media scandals that followed.

Despite these setbacks, the film shows Reubens’ resilience, highlighting his later career resurgence and his determination to control his legacy. The documentary closes with Reubens’ final thoughts on creativity, acceptance, and joy.

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Production and direction

Production began after Wolf was granted over 40 hours of interviews with Paul Reubens and access to his extensive personal archive of photographs and video footage.

HBO Documentary Films came on board, and the Safdie brothers and Emma Tillinger Koskoff got the ball rolling. Reubens himself was an executive producer, which added a personal touch.

The movie uses old footage and interviews with Reubens' sister, coworkers, and famous actors like Natasha Lyonne, Laurence Fishburne, Tim Burton, and Judd Apatow.

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Pee-wee as Himself will be available to stream on HBO and Max.