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Season 1 – Pee-wee as Himself

Play trailer 2:13 Poster for Season 1 – Pee-wee as Himself 2025 Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 43 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Driven by a soul-baring interview with Paul Reubens, the man behind the iconic character Pee-wee Herman, PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF is the definitive portrait of the comedic performer, and a window into his never before discussed personal life. 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.
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Pee-wee as Himself — Season 1

Pee-wee as Himself — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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David Bianculli NPR "Pee-wee As Himself" makes clear that Paul Reubens was a control freak of sorts, and at the end, Reubens finally gets in the last word unfiltered. It's worth hearing, and for this HBO documentary, it's just the right coda. Jun 4, 2025 Full Review Eric Deggans NPR In the end, Pee-wee as Himself offers a touching portrait of an artist who rarely revealed himself publicly -- in the process, explaining why sharing his personal story was so difficult in the first place. Jun 2, 2025 Full Review Judy Berman TIME Magazine [Matt] Wolf’s greatest contribution is in faithfully documenting his open, sometimes ugly dialogue with a figure who was widely known yet never, until now, understood. Jun 2, 2025 Full Review Polly Conway Common Sense Media This sweeping documentary is a bittersweet swan song for Reubens, who gave up a part of himself in order to thrive as his beloved mischief-maker Pee-wee Herman. Jun 10, 2025 Full Review Melody Esme Willamette Week This film is a marvelous look into Reubens’ life. Jun 6, 2025 Full Review Bruce R. Miller Sioux City Journal What “Pee-wee as Himself” does provide is a look at the building blocks that made the quirky character. A fan of old children’s shows, Reubens wanted to be in that world. Rated: 3/4 Jun 6, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Joe B Seemed like a bit of a controlling pr*ck. Who knew? 5 stars. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/13/25 Full Review Mike P Startling documentary about Paul Reubens AKA Pee Wee Herman. It amazing to see the man behind Pee Wee unvarnished; with all his real clothes, real voice, real persona; all on full display here; for the first time; all of which he kept assiduously concealed throughout his life... Watching him finally give us the truth is nothing short of miraculous. His life is amazing; his showbiz rags to riches story is inspiring; his personality is warm and inviting; the whole thing is just a great, positive experience. We see his professional arc from art school, to the Groundlings, to Stand up comedian to movie star; to TV star; to national institution. It's great. I highly recommend this!! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/09/25 Full Review Bob P What a remarkable creative person Paul Reubens was. I remember watching Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse with my young kids and thinking "this is really bizarre". I think I liked it more than they did. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/08/25 Full Review Diana S As someone who obsessively watched Pee-wee's Big Adventure about 7,000 times as a child in the '80s, and someone who is a bit of a "weirdo" and perhaps was influenced by Pee-wee Herman's genius, this documentary was absolutely heart-wrenching and oddly affirming to watch, especially in light of his tragic death. I loved Paul Reubens so much and I think his life was wonderful and sad and I'm just so heartbroken that he's gone. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/06/25 Full Review Nick K This documentary was really interesting, and I learned a lot about the man . It also made me angry that we never got to see much of Paul who his so intelligent, witty, and funny. Really sad Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/03/25 Full Review David F This is a wonderful documentary which goes over the entirety of Paul Reubens career, shows and tells where the Pee-wee Herman character came from, and discusses it in the context of its massive impact on the culture and the way it fit into Reubens life and career. The documentary doesn’t flinch from discussing Reubens’ run ins with the law but the real interest here is in how Reubens created a character who in some ways he became in a way that eclipsed himself as a person. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Pee-wee as Himself — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 23, 2025 Part One Part one details Reubens' childhood and desire to be an actor, inspired by such television shows as "Howdy Doody," "Captain Kangaroo," and "I Love Lucy." He finds acceptance at CalArts, where he hones his performance art skills. At the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings, Reubens creates the alter ego of Pee-wee Herman and puts on a live late-night show that becomes a cult sensation and evolves into a popular tour. The hit 1985 film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" makes him a global sensation. Subsuming himself into the character of Pee-wee, Reubens hides his personal life, and recognizes too late that fame makes for a complicated companion. Details Episode 2 Aired May 23, 2025 Part Two Reubens' profile continues to grow with an Emmy®-winning weekly Saturday morning television show "Pee-wee's Playhouse," which unabashedly celebrates diversity and nonconformity. The episode explores the casting, production design, and creative process of the show that ran for five seasons. Reubens talks candidly about his fame as a pop culture icon and the lows he endured as he faced rumors, vilification, and the vitriol of the media. Reemerging as a cult figure with cameo roles in films and TV shows, a Broadway revival of his Pee-wee stage show, and a final Pee-wee film, Reubens refuses to have his legacy be defined by media scandals based on false rumors. He shares final words with the public, reinforcing his lifelong dream to bring joy, creativity, and acceptance to everyone. Details

Season Info

Director
Matt Wolf
Executive Producer
Matt Wolf, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date
May 23, 2025