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Review: Two-Part Documentary Explores Pee-Wee Herman in His Own Words

Paul Reubens died in 2023 after sitting for about 40 hours of interviews for the two-part documentary "Pee-wee as Himself" directed by Matt Wolf.
Reubens built the Pee-wee Herman character through early stage shows, a crucial collaboration with Tim Burton, and the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which made him a global star.
His carefully controlled public image began to crack after a 1991 indecent exposure arrest and a later dropped child pornography charge in 2002, causing significant personal and professional challenges.
Debi Mazar compared Reubens to a bird struck by a truck following the scandal, while Reubens himself expressed a desire to reveal the deep hurt caused by being mischaracterized.
"Pee-Wee as Himself" reveals the man behind the persona, presenting Reubens as playful but calculating, and offers a much-needed retort to misunderstandings about his life and career.

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KCRW

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Matt Wolf on ‘barbed exchanges’ with Paul Reubens being essential to ‘Pee-wee as Himself’

Documentarian Matt Wolf tells us about the prickly-yet-extensive interview process with late actor Paul Reubens for the HBO series, “Pee-wee as Himself.”

2 days ago

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WiscNews

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Review: Two-part documentary explores Pee-wee Herman in his own words

In some 40 hours of interviews, Paul Reubens talks about his early years, his collaborations, his success and all seems right with the world.

2 days ago

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USA Today

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'Pee-wee as Himself' examines Paul Reubens' controversial past, delivers final message

Paul Reubens shares a final message about his controversial past in HBO's "Pee-wee as Himself" documentary, recorded just a day before his death.

3 days ago·United States

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The New Yorker

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Pee-wee Herman and the Cost of Dividing Yourself in Two

Michael Schulman reviews “Pee-wee as Himself,” a two-part HBO documentary about the entertainer Paul Reubens, whose alter ego Pee-wee Herman overtook his own identity.

3 days ago·New York, United States

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