How to watch Pee-wee as Himself online? Streaming details explored
Pee-wee as Himself is a two-part documentary series produced and directed by Matt Wolf. It premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.
The series explores the career of actor and comedian Paul Reubens. He was known for playing the character of Pee-wee Herman on stage and screen for multiple decades. Here's the official synopsis by HBO:
"A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts, tracing the life of the imaginative artist."
Both parts of Pee-wee as Himself were released on HBO on May 23, 2025, at 8 pm ET. They are available for streaming on Max. The film features interviews with the actor himself and some other prominent personalities.
Read on to know about the streaming details of the documentary series.
Pee-wee as Himself is available on Max
As mentioned above, the two-part documentary series was made available on Max on May 23, 2025. Those interested in knowing about the life of Paul Reubens and how he created the character can watch the documentary with a subscription to the streaming platform.
However, the cost of the subscription varies according to the users' location. In the United States, Max offers three subscription plans.
The Ad-Lite plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. It includes streaming at 1080p resolution and with 5.1 surround sound quality for up to two devices. However, advertisements might affect the viewing experience.
Users can opt for the Ad-Free plan at $16.99 a month or $169.99 a year, or the Ultimate Ad-Free plan at $20.99 a month or $209.99 a year. These plans provide a 4K resolution display and Dolby Atmos sound quality. Users also get 100 downloads with the Ultimate Ad-Free plan.
It must be noted that Max is not available in a few territories. The fans in those territories can get an HBO add-on with other streaming services such as Hulu and Disney+.
What is Pee-wee as Himself about?
Pee-wee as Himself follows the life of Paul Reubens, who was known for playing the famous character of Pee-wee Herman. The childlike character was developed as a stage act, but soon turned into a hit stage show. The character became so popular that it was turned into a motion picture in 1985, Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
The film was followed by an Emmy Award-winning children's series, Pee-wee's Playhouse, and multiple films. The last of which, Pee-wee's Big Holiday, was released in 2016.
A trailer for the series was released on April 23, 2025, which provided a glimpse of Paul Reubens revealing the man behind the character. He talked about his struggles when his anonymity was compromised and his struggle with intoxication. The trailer ended with the actor looking directly at the viewer and saying,
"I am gonna leave out the part where we did enormous amounts of drugs. Oh! I didn't."
Reubens’ sister Abby Rubenfeld and artists like Gary Panter and Wayne White are also featured in the project. Fans would also get to see the interviews with filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow. Prominent actors Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman, and Cassandra Peterson also share their stories of Reubens.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on Pee-wee as Himself and other films, documentaries, and series on Max.
