Paul Reubens, the beloved actor known for his role as Pee-wee Herman, did not inform his documentary director Matt Wolf about his terminal cancer diagnosis before his passing in 2023. Despite sharing over 40 hours of personal anecdotes and reflections for the two-part documentary, "Pee-wee as Himself," Reubens kept his illness private, allowing only a small circle of friends to know. Wolf sensed something was amiss during their final conversations but was unaware of the severity of Reubens' condition until after his death.
I had no reason to believe he was terminally ill, but we had a meaningful private conversation that gave me the assurances I needed to move forward with this film.
We spoke about everything - Reubens' childhood, his complicated relationship with fame, and his ambitions, except the fact that he had been battling cancer for the past six years.
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