In short, the documentary is a three-hour, twenty-minute portrait of Reubens. And that’s exactly how the two parts will air together on linear HBO. You can watch them however you like on Max.
©The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros. DiscoveryPee-wee as Himself centers on “a revealing interview” with Reubens, offering a glimpse into his never-before-discussed private life. It was an exceptionally long, soulful interview: Pee-wee as Himself was compiled from more than 40 hours of interview footage filmed before Reubens’ death in 2023. Wolf also had access to more than 1,000 hours of archival footage and tens of thousands of never-before-seen photographs from Reubens’ personal collections.
“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 synopsis continues.
Reubens grew up in Sarasota, Florida, before moving west to study at the California Institute of the Arts. He later joined the Groundlings, where he first created the character Pee-wee Herman. It took off like a rocket. Pee-Wee's Playhouse followed, and Reubens has rarely stepped out of character in public since. Things changed somewhat in 1991 when he was arrested for indecent exposure in an erotic movie theater. That's definitely something to talk about.
“Alongside interviews with artists and actors from Pee-wee’s Playhouse and prominent figures in his life, Reubens openly discusses further legal battles, his exoneration, his ultimate resurrection as a public figure, and the apotheosis of Pee-wee as an adored and enduring cultural icon,” HBO said in its announcement. “The result is a revealing, hilarious and complex portrait of Reubens, and a celebration of the enormous and indelible legacy he leaves behind.”
Pee-wee as Himself airs Friday, May 23 at 8pm on HBO.
