Did Joe Manganiello and Paul Reubens work together? "Magic Mike" actor remembers late friend and calls himself his biggest fan

Actor Joe Manganiello shared his thoughts about his friend and late actor Paul Reubens. The two actors worked together in the 2016 comedy Pee-wee's Big Holiday. Reubens played the role of Pee-wee Herman while Manganiello portrayed the stranger on the motorcycle.

Manganiello, who worked in films like Magic Mike and Nonnas, chatted with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the new season of his show, Deal or No Deal Island. Remembering the late actor, he said:

“I think about him all the time. I miss him a lot. He was like a family member. He would come over for Thanksgiving, he would come over to the house all the time, or I’d go to his house.”

He added:

“I just feel so privileged to have had the chance to work with him on that intimate of a level and to get to know him as a person. I was his biggest fan. I loved him. I’ll always miss him.”

Interestingly, Paul Reubens was also one of the screenwriters of Pee-wee's Big Holiday. Joe Manganiello told the outlet that his role was specifically written by the late actor, and it meant a lot to him.

He reflected on how Reubens, despite being incredibly talented, never insisted on special treatment. On their first day on set, Joe Manganiello asked if he should refer to him as Paul or stay in character and call him Pee-wee.

Paul Reubens told him to just call him Paul. Even though he showed up in the full Pee-wee outfit, he remained himself and aimed to make sure everyone felt comfortable and supported.

Joe Manganiello shared his thoughts about Paul Reubens’ documentary

Joe Manganiello shared with the media outlet that he recently had a dream of Reubens. In the dream, Paul Reubens pulled a practical joke on him, and the experience felt incredibly real when he woke up.

The vividness of the dream made him feel certain that if anyone were to find a way to play pranks from the afterlife, it would have been Paul, given his generous and playful spirit.

Paul Reubens had cancer, and he died on July 30, 2023. HBO Max released a documentary, Pee-Wee as Himself, this year. Speaking about the documentary, Joe Manganiello said:

“It’s a good time for it and I think it’s going to be really effective since it comes from his perspective. I think there’s a lot of confusion with people about out what he was in trouble for and what he wasn’t in trouble for, and that narrative has gotten really muddy.”

He went on:

“I think that he really did get a raw deal, and it really hurt him deeply. He was someone that felt things really deeply, and it’s sad for me because I look back and I think about what the world would’ve been like had he not had to go into this self-imposed exile or this kind of society-imposed exile. It was dumb.”

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Joe Manganiello said Paul Reubens was an enthusiastic birthday planner. He remembered that when Reubens learned someone's birthday, he would spend the whole day sending them messages, videos, and cards.

Even people who had only met Paul briefly through Joe would get the same enthusiastic treatment after he managed to get their contact info.

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