HBO is releasing an HBO Original two-part documentary, Pee-wee as Himself, on May 23. Both parts will air back-to-back, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET and will also be available to stream on Max.
The documentary will give viewers an inside look at the personal life of the man behind the iconic character. Before his death in 2023, Paul Reubens recorded over 40 hours of interviews, which the documentary makers used in addition to 1,000 hours of archival footage, and tens of thousands of never-before-seen photographs from Reubens’ personal collections to tell his story.
That story includes everything from his childhood in Sarasota, Florida to theater training at California Institute of the Arts to becoming a cultural phenomenon with “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” Outside of his professional life, the doc will also cover Reuben’s personal struggles. “Occasionally sparring with the documentary’s director over creative control, Reubens speaks candidly, and sometimes warily, about his personal and professional challenges before and after his arrests,” the synopsis says.
Part One covers Reubens’ childhood and early career, leading up to the hit 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and the explosive fame that followed. Part Two picks up with the launch of the Saturday morning television show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” and Reubens’ commentary on the highs and lows of fame.
The documentary includes interviews with Paul Reubens’ sister Abby Rubenfeld, artists Gary Panter and Wayne White, actors Lynne Stewart, John Moody, Alison Mork, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman, and Cassandra Peterson, and filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow.