Paul Reubens Filmed In His Own Words

Surfing for something relevant to watch I came across “Pee-Wee As Himself” the HBO Original 2-Part 195 minutes documentary directed by Matt Wolf (“The Stroll”) that recounts Reubens life story from over 40 hours of brutally honest intimate interview footage, fabulous archival film & photographs from Reuben personal collections. This must-see binge-worthy film opens your eyes & corrects the record with the factual story of his life. The most revealing part of this riveting documentary was addressing the societal persecution of Reubens for being a gay man forced to remain in the closet during a time in the 1980’s when living openly was totally unacceptable especially with a high-profile Emmy-winning CBS weekly Saturday morning television show like “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” that ran from 1986 to 1990. I totally sympathize with this on a number of levels. While I was employed by CBS between 1979 to 1984, I had to remain in the closet or be fired for being LGBTQ. I left CBS in 1984 to live my life authentically so I can just imagine the horrendous circumstances Reubens was up against. Sadly he passed away in 2023 at 70 after privately battling cancer for years. Wolf stated, “I was completely unaware that he was sick. I could tell something was up, but I had no sense of the gravity of it. So when he died, it was a complete shock to me, & I went to work immediately to figure out how to make meaning out of these extraordinary circumstances & to better understand the relationship that I had with him & what unfolded through the process of making this film.” “Pee-Wee As Himself” is currently available on HBO/MAX & a truly important way to celebrate Pride in these times. Watch Trailer