Paul Reubens, the Pee-wee Herman, revealed his life story in a deeply personal posthumous documentary called Pee-wee as Himself. The two-part documentary premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and captures the comedian’s struggles with fame, identity, and his private battle with cancer.
The movie discloses Reubens as a gay man who kept his homosexuality hidden throughout his career. Before attaining celebrity status, Reubens was dating a man named Guy from Echo Park, Los Angeles. His relationship with Guy inspired Pee-wee Herman’s craziness, and Guy’s comedic vocal mannerisms led to Pee-wee saying, “Mmmm! Chocolatey!
Reubens first brought Pee-wee into the scene in 1981, when he performed with the Groundlings comedy troupe. As his success grew, he preferred not to reveal much about his personal life and commented “I wasn’t pursuing the Paul Reubens career; I was pursuing the Pee-wee Herman career.
The documentary also chronicles the scandals that have tarnished Reubens’ career, such as his 1991 arrest for indecent exposure and a 2001 obscenity charge that he always attributed to a case of mistaken identity over his huge vintage erotica collection. Despite the controversies, their loyal friends and fans stood by him during these trying times.
Reubens died from cancer in July 2023 at age 70, having fought privately with the illness for six years. The final scenes of the documentary are heard via an audio recording he made moments before his death. “Everything I did and wrote was based on love,” he revealed as the film came to a close, allowing viewers to see the man behind the bow tie.
Pee-wee as Himself will premiere on HBO this spring, providing audiences with a heartfelt look at the life of a man who brought joy to millions while quietly navigating his own struggles.
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