Pee-wee as Himself: Everything we know about the latest HBO docuseries by Matt Wolf

The latest HBO docuseries, Pee-Wee as Himself, is a fascinating all-access look into Paul Reubens through director Matt Wolf's lens. This docu-series follows the life and career of Paul Reubens and Pee-Wee, the character created by the performer.

Reubens completely opens up in this docu-series, but sadly, he didn't get a chance to watch it, as he died on July 30, 2023. Here's everything we know about the latest HBO docuseries.

Matt Wolf's Pee-Wee as Himself: Everything we know about the HBO documentary

Matt Wolf's Pee-Wee as Himself is a two-part docuseries revolving around the life and career of Paul Reubens, who created the character Pee-Wee Herman, a pop culture icon worldwide. Reubens provided Wolf with unprecedented access to his life, to the rise and fall of his career, and most importantly, his thoughts. Ruebens had been battling cancer for years, a detail he kept hidden from everybody, even his director.

Ruebens explained his reasoning behind wanting to make this documentary in an audio clip he sent to Wolf the day before he died:

"More than anything, the reason I wanted to make a documentary was to let people see who I really am and how painful and difficult it was to be labeled something I wasn't … a pedophile."

Ruebens provided Wolf with more than 40 hours of interviews and conversations about his life, career, and how Pee-Wee Herman was Reuben's way of staying anonymous while being a global pop icon. Pee-Wee as Himself, described as a soul-baring interview by HBO, was released on May 23, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET on HBO and is now streaming on Max.

The documentary Pee-Wee as Himself takes the viewer through an intimate journey where Reubens thinks that he has the perspective he needs to direct his own documentary, but at the same time gives over the reins to Matt Wolf. Ruebens says this to the camera as the docuseries begins, talking to Wolf:

"Many people – alright, everyone but me – feel that you don't, as the subject of a documentary … you don't have perspective really on yourself. I will argue that. And you and I are going to be arguing that for a long, long time. Until this documentary is finished. You mark my words."

Pee-Wee as Himself is a look at Reubens's attempt at introducing the world to the man behind the character, something that Reubens himself had never done before, something that allowed him to keep so many parts of himself hidden for a very long time.

While most of the Pee-Wee as Himself docuseries is from Reubens' perspective, interviewing his friends and collaborators like Debi Mazar and Laurence Fishburne, Wolf manages to portray a neutral standpoint by also featuring former acquaintances and employees who tell the tale of Reubens' controlling and somewhat problematic persona.

Pee-Wee as Himself is a revealing look at the man behind the alter-ego, burdened with his choices, past, and himself, looking to speak his truth for the first time.

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