HBO lifts the curtain on the man behind the red bow tie and gray suit this Friday with “Pee-wee as Himself,” a documentary exploring the life and career of Paul Reubens. From his childhood dreams of acting, sparked by watching “Howdy Doody” and “I Love Lucy,” to his global stardom as Pee-wee Herman, the film traces Reubens’ unique path.
The first episode details his time at CalArts, where he found a home for his burgeoning creativity, and his formative years with The Groundlings, the comedy troupe where Pee-wee Herman first took comedic flight. It then charts the character’s meteoric rise with the hit film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” which transformed Reubens from a struggling artist into an international icon.
But fame, as we know, has a flip side. “Pee-wee as Himself” also explores the pressures of maintaining the Pee-wee persona, the blurring of the lines between performance and real life, and the toll it took on Reubens. In a revealing interview, he aims to set the record straight, offering his own account of the highs and lows of a singular career. Tune in to HBO this Friday, May 23, at 8:00 PM ET for “Pee-wee as Himself.”
