Paul Reubens, the late American actor and comedian, has made some deeply personal revelations about himself posthumously.
Reubens, who was best known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman, shared some deeply personal revelations about his sexuality in the posthumous HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself, coming out as gay, according to the New York Post.
The highly anticipated two-part documentary, which finally premiered on Thursday, January 23, at the Sundance Film Festival, features Reubens’ final interviews before his passing from cancer in July 2023 at the age of 70.
In the documentary, Reubens revealed for the first time that he was gay, a truth he had kept private throughout his career. “I was out of the closet, and then, I went back in the closet,” he said. He also explained that he chose to conceal his sexuality while building his fame as Pee-wee Herman.
The trending documentary also explores Reubens’ relationship with a man named Guy from Echo Park, Los Angeles, whose mannerisms are said to have inspired some of Pee-wee’s most iconic catchphrases. For instance, the phrase “Mmmm! Chocolatey!” was derived from Guy’s habit of saying “Mmmm! Buttery!”
Paul Reubens also opened up about his struggles, including feelings of self-doubt and the fear of how revealing his true identity might affect his career.
He said: “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.”
Reubens gained fame in the 1980s as Pee-wee Herman, debuting the childlike character during his performances with the Groundlings comedy troupe in 1981. His career took off with appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the release of his hit film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985.
Paul Reubens passed away on July 30, 2023, after privately battling cancer for several years.
