Paul Reubens reveals his struggles in last documentary interviews
- Filmmaker Matt Wolf completed an extensive documentary on Paul Reubens' life and career, spending over 40 hours interviewing him.
- Reubens struggled with sharing his personal story while battling cancer in secrecy.
- The documentary reflects the intimate and complex duality of Reubens' artistic persona and his real-life struggles.
In July 2023, Paul Reubens passed away, leading to shock and disbelief among fans and colleagues alike. Filmmaker Matt Wolf had been working on a documentary titled 'Pee-wee as Himself,' dedicated to exploring Reubens' life, career, and the complexities of his iconic character, Pee-wee Herman. The documentary process took several years and involved extensive interviews. Despite initially struggling to capture Reubens' cooperation due to his discomfort with sharing his personal experiences, Wolf persevered and managed to secure over 40 hours of footage reflecting Reubens' thoughts and feelings, including discussions about his childhood and sexuality. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Wolf, Reubens had been silently battling cancer for six years, which added a profound context to the documentary that unfolded posthumously. After Reubens' death, Wolf felt a renewed purpose to complete the project, aiming to portray Reubens not just as a performer, but as a groundbreaking artist intricately connected to his character while navigating the struggles of his personal life.