Los Angeles [US], January 25 : The late comedian Paul Reubens, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, shared deeply personal revelations as he came out as gay in the posthumous HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself, according to the New York Post.
The two-part documentary, which premiered on Thursday, January 23, at the Sundance Film Festival, includes Reubens' final interviews before he died of cancer in July 2023 at the age of 70.
In the film, Reubens, for the first time, shared that he was gay, a truth he had kept hidden throughout his career. "I was out of the closet, and then, I went back in the closet," he said. Reubens also shared that he decided to conceal his sexuality while pursuing fame as Pee-wee Herman.
The documentary also recounts Reubens' relationship with a man named Guy from Echo Park, Los Angeles, whose mannerisms even inspired some of Pee-wee's most iconic catchphrases, such as "Mmmm! Chocolatey!" which stemmed from Guy's similar quirk of saying "Mmmm! Buttery!"
Reubens also spoke about his struggles, including self-doubt and fear of how revealing his true identity might impact his career.
"I hid behind an alter ego. I spent my entire adult life hiding that I was a huge weed head. I was secretive about my sexuality, even to my friends, [out of] self-hatred or self-preservation. I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated," he shared.
Reubens rose to fame in the 1980s as Pee-wee Herman. He debuted the child-like character while performing with the Groundlings comedy troupe in 1981. His career skyrocketed with appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the release of his hit film Pee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985.
Reubens passed away on July 30, 2023, after battling cancer privately for years.
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