Latest news with #Pee-wee'sPlayhouse
Buzz Feed
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Natasha Lyonne On Aging In Hollywood, Cosmetic Work
Natasha Lyonne has been in the public eye for almost all of her life, having bagged her first role at age 6 in the children's TV series Pee-wee's Playhouse. After starring in movies like American Pie and But I'm A Cheerleader, Natasha reached a new level of success when she played Nicky Nichols in the 2013 Netflix series Orange Is The New Black. But it wasn't until fairly recently that Natasha's career really took off. She played the leading character in Netflix's Russian Doll from 2019 to 2022, which earned her three Emmy Award nominations, and she currently stars in the Peacock series Poker Face. This week, Natasha, 46, sat down with Marie Claire for a wide-ranging interview, during which she was asked about her growing opportunities in Hollywood. The journalist noted that despite the 'popular misconceptions about women, aging, and showbiz,' Natasha made it clear that she's gaining more and more recognition as she gets older. 'It's not actually [true] that a woman has less opportunities at a certain age,' she said. 'As someone fully entrenched on that other side of that Maxim magazine I never did, now I have more opportunities than I ever did.' Elsewhere during the interview, Natasha briefly touched on the subject of cosmetic work. Though she didn't explicitly clarify what she has had done, the actor pointedly said, 'Listen, I don't think you're going to find any woman in this town who hasn't had a dermatologist put a laser on their face,' before adding, 'But I've never had anything that made me not be able to go to dinner right after.' She then continued, 'If I could, I would get one of those really poufy upper lips. That's why I'm always overdrawing my upper lip line. I'd probably also get really big boobs and a really big BBL.' You can find Natasha's full Marie Claire interview here.
CNET
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Pee-wee Herman's Documentary Lets Gen X Reflect on Our Quirky Childhood
Countless memes exist about how Gen X is a tough, often overlooked generation, and a million more about how we're also an apathetic generation (say whatever you want about us, I don't care). The whole "we drank from the hose and biked alone till dark" thing absolutely shaped many kids who grew up fiercely independent and resilient in the 1980s. But we were also one of the first generations to truly be babysat by TV and that also played a huge role in the lives of millions of lawless latchkey kids. It wasn't until I watched Pee-wee as Himself, the new two-part documentary on Max about the life and career of Paul Reubens, (aka Pee-wee Herman), that it hit me just how lucky we were to grow up at a time where a character like Pee-wee existed in the mainstream and the idea that something could be weird -- and embraced for that. Pee-wee's weirdness was obvious and evident in his films and on TV in Pee-wee's Playhouse. Here was this ageless man-child in a gray suit who lived alone, whose prized possession was his bike, who screamed every time a secret word was spoken. My household routinely ran out of Scotch tape as a result of my using it to stretch my face into some grotesque skin mask with an upturned nose, thanks to Pee-wee. The character seemed like someone who got to live out every kid's fantasy life, and that was the initial draw. He was aspirational in his silliness. But what the documentary makes clear is how deliberate Pee-wee's choices were, especially in the creation of his CBS Saturday morning TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse. This was a show that went out of its way to cast actors of color in prominent roles (including Law & Order star S. Epatha Merkerson and Laurence Fishburne, who both appear in the doc), and created an inclusive environment that embraced the unusual and eccentric. Nothing about any of that was by accident. Natasha Lyonne, who appeared on the show as a child, said being on the show "felt like permission to be myself." I'd like to think this permission to embrace what others might not consider "normal" is one reason why our generation identified so much with genres whose names speak volumes: alternative music, indie film, underground comedy. These things already existed, but ours was the generation that labeled them. How many other children's television shows cast androgynous disco star Grace Jones in their Christmas special? (The special also featured appearances from Charo, Joan Rivers, k.d. lang, Cher, Oprah Winfrey and Little Richard, an attempt to create multiple levels of entertainment for several generations. The Muppets did this too in a more vaudevillian-inspired way; Pee-wee took it to a much campier level.) Reubens says in the film, "I wanted kids to learn about being a non-conformist and what non-conformity was ... you can do the opposite of things, you can do whatever you want." Warner Bros. Discovery "I just put a lot of stuff in Pee-wee's Playhouse that I thought, 'Why not?'" he adds. This includes things like Pee-wee dancing in high heels and holding a marriage ceremony between himself and a bowl of fruit salad. (What's more fascinating is that while this stuff was considered offbeat at the time, it wasn't censored and didn't spark backlash the way that it potentially might today.) Pee-wee Herman was a performance art creation by an actor who chose not to ever appear as himself in public until much later in his career. It's because Paul Reubens never allowed anyone to get to know him and his creative process (a fact he expresses regret about in the film), and we didn't know at the time just how intentional and subversive he was being with his work. Reubens died in 2023 while still in the process of finishing interviews for the film and he struggled to relinquish creative control of the doc -- it's bittersweet to see him express his triumphs and regrets in these interviews and not get to see the completed product. I was a Pee-wee-loving kid, but after watching the documentary, I'm grateful that it was finished even in the wake of Reubens' death. It's a necessary bookend to Reubens' career; without it, I don't even know if I would have realized the impact he had on so many of us little weirdos.
Time Out
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Katy Perry's viral, quirky 'Lifetimes' tour has hits—and misses
I saw astronaut Katy Perry kiss the sky… and I liked it? Sorta. Actually, I'm kind of torn on my thoughts after seeing Perry's 'Lifetimes' tour in Las Vegas. That's because I was both equally amused and entertained as I was bewildered and frustrated by it. For a lot of reasons. Now granted, I'm comparing it to her Resorts World residency a few years ago, 'Play,' a production she referred to as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets Pee-wee's Playhouse. Yes, it was as odd as that sentence reads. Perry's performance found her singing out of an oversized toilet and dancing in a field of monster mushrooms with a lipsticked frog in a bikini. So that's why, when tickets for 'Lifetime' landed in my lap from a friend, I was intrigued by the opportunity. The night started when a wicked windstorm launched a plastic bag into the air near the Luxor light beam as I walked to the show and, of course, fittingly ended with Perry closing her show with that opening lyric from 'Firework.' Between those moments there was a lot going on. Perry was engaging and spoke to the audience quite a bit. Early on, she poked fun at herself in reference to the backlash from her recent Blue Origin spaceflight, saying she's the 'world's most hated icon.' Later on, Perry thanked the crowd 'for loving me despite all of my flaws.' Her 'Lifetimes' tour, which is crisscrossing the globe through the end of the year in promotion of her album 143, has received a lukewarm reception, with some observers calling Perry a copycat. They note that her opening monologue mimics the one from Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour and how the portion of Perry's show calling on the audience to scan a QR code and pick a song for her to sing is oh-too-similar to what Sabrina Carpenter has done. But comparisons aside, Perry makes it her own with a five-act video game concept that involves her battling an AI robot. That's… not necessarily a good thing. The storyline is confusing but apparently Perry is half-human, half-machine (which explains the metallic costumes, cone bras and furry moon boots) and in a fight with a cyborg to save butterflies and spread love. It's The Matrix meets Star Wars. At one point, Perry even swings a red lightsaber to destroy her enemies. The stage for 'Lifetimes' is designed in a figure eight pattern allowing her to get closer to the crowd. There is a lot of airtime as well with artists performing Cirque du Soleil-like acrobatics and Perry suspended by wires flying and flipping above the audience on four separate occasions, including when riding on the back of a butterfly while performing 'Roar.' My history with Perry starts at the very beginning. I first heard her in 2008 performing songs off Teenage Dream at the New York-New York's long-closed Rok Vegas nightclub. Then, while working for Us Weekly, I covered the 'Waking Up in Vegas' singer whenever she hit town—including her bachelorette party with Rihanna and numerous appearances and award shows. I even witnessed one of her first flights (albeit above a stage, not into outer space) at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. And while the voice is different and some song arrangements have changed, the one constant from quirky Perry are the campy costumes and hit songs. At T-Mobile Arena, she performed 24 songs and judging from the devoted fans singing along, 'Lifetimes' works.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where to Watch ‘Pee-wee as Himself'
Director Matt Wolf spent two years interviewing Paul Reubens for his new HBO documentary 'Pee-Wee as Himself,' not realizing that the actor was dying of cancer. As he told TheWrap at Sundance earlier this year, 'I did have the sense that Paul was motivated to tell his story in a way he hadn't been before, that it was going to be challenging for him, but that he threw himself into that process and was fully committed to being himself on camera in a way that was totally uncomfortable and something he had never done.' 'The idea that these would be the last words that he would share publicly with the world was completely off my radar,' he continued. Here's how to watch the two-part documentary about the Pee-wee Herman star. It premieres Friday, May 23, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on HBO and Max. 'Pee-wee as Himself' is a two-part documentary. Both episodes premiere on May 23. Part One, which follows Reubens from his childhood through the creation of Pee-wee and his breakout with the 1985 film 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure,' premieres Friday, May 23, at 8:00-9:40 p.m. ET/PT. Part Two follows immediately, debuting at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT. It covers casting, production design and the creative process behind his Emmy-winning series 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' which ran from 1986 to 1990 on CBS. It also features the actor's final interview before his death in July of 2023. The documentary is about the late Paul Reubens and his alter-ego persona, Pee-wee Herman. The film features interviews with filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow, actors Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman and Cassandra Peterson, artists Gary Panter and Wayne White and Reubens' sister Abby Rubenfeld. The post Where to Watch 'Pee-wee as Himself' appeared first on TheWrap.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Pee-wee as Himself' examines Paul Reubens' controversial past, delivers final message
'Pee-wee as Himself' examines Paul Reubens' controversial past, delivers final message Show Caption Hide Caption The most anticipated TV shows of 2025 USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler shares her top 5 TV shows she is most excited for this year You remember the distinctive laugh, the gray, slender-fitting suit and the cherry red bowtie. But do you have any recollection of the man who brought Pee-wee Herman to life, save for a fuzzy memory of a few incriminatory headlines? In 'Pee-wee as Himself,' Paul Reubens makes it clear that he didn't want the two-part docuseries debuting in its entirety on May 23 (HBO, 8 ET/PT and streaming on HBO Max) to be a 'legacy movie.' 'I really want to set the record straight on a couple things, and that's pretty much it,' says Reubens (born Paul Rubenfeld). But unbeknownst to director Matt Wolf and the public, Reubens had been privately battling cancer for years. He died on July 30, 2023, at 70, while fighting acute myelogenous leukemia and metastatic lung cancer, according to reports. 'I was completely unaware that he was sick,' Wolf tells USA TODAY. 'I could tell something was up, but I had no sense of the gravity of it. So when he died, it was a complete shock to me, and I went to work immediately to figure out how to make meaning out of these extraordinary circumstances and to better understand the relationship that I had with him and what unfolded through the process of making this film.' Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Throughout 40 hours of interviews, Reubens, a perfectionist, and Wolf verbally tussle over control on the project. The entertainer opens up about his decision to allow his avatar Pee-wee, star of 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' to swallow Reubens in a stop-at-no-costs search for stardom ignited at an early age. Reubens grew up performing plays on a stage that his father built in the basement of their home in Sarasota, Florida, with early aspirations of becoming an actor. 'I wanted to be the focus of everyone's attention,' he says. Reubens also addresses topics more difficult for him to talk about, including his sexuality and trouble with the law. Reubens was arrested in 1991 and charged with indecent exposure for allegedly masturbating at an adult movie theater. Following a raid of his Los Angeles home in 2001, Reubens was charged with possessing child pornography. Wolf, a filmmaker interested in 'unconventional visionaries who beg for reappraisal,' investigates the incidents in search of the truth. Paul Reubens 'was anxious' about coming out as gay In 'Pee-wee as Himself,' Reubens remembers he 'fell in love instantly' at a party with a painter named Guy, who inspired some of Pee-wee's mannerisms. But Reubens says their relationship eclipsed his sense of self and ambitions, and that was a threat too great to bear. 'When we split up, I just made a conscious decision and went, 'I'm not doing this again,' ' Reubens says. 'I not only wasn't going to be openly gay, but I wasn't going to be in a relationship. 'My career would've absolutely suffered if I was openly gay, and so I went to great lengths for many, many years to keep it a secret.' Wolf says Reubens wanted to come out in the docuseries but 'he didn't know how he was going to do it, and he was anxious about it.' 'He pulled me aside while we were on set and said, 'I don't know how to do this,' ' says Wolf, who told him, "All you have to do is say, 'I'm gay' (and) take it from there.' Reubens didn't want his sexuality to define him, Wolf says. 'He didn't want his work to be seen through a gay lens or to be perceived as a gay icon,' Wolf says. 'That just wasn't how he defined himself.' 'We loved you right back': Bette Midler, Tim Burton, more stars remember Paul Reubens Paul Reubens' arrests: 'It was important to really go there to clear his name' The film examines what happened in both of Reubens' arrests, and 'it was important to really go there to clear his name,' Wolf says. 'The response that I've heard is that people really believe that what happened to Paul was unjust, and I feel that way based on having absorbed and looked at the facts very closely.' Reubens denied the masturbation accusation at the time and says in 'Pee-wee as Himself,' 'I still feel the effects all the time.' He pleaded no contest to move on. A decade later, authorities raided Reubens' home, where he kept an art collection of gay erotica. Reubens was charged with one count of misdemeanor possession of child pornography. A plea deal was made 'that addressed this being material that was offensive somehow, but on an obscenity standard, not anything to do with child pornography,' Reubens' attorney Blair Berk says in the docuseries. The charge was lessened to one count of possession of obscene material, and Reubens pled guilty. Still, he needed to attend mandatory counseling and register as a sex offender for three years. The message Paul Reubens recorded a day before his death Reubens died before he could sit for a final interview with Wolf. 'In the last months of Paul's life, he was in a loving relationship,' Reubens' assistant Allison Berry says. 'He was surrounded by his closest friends. He had a lot of joy. I think he was embracing the fullness of his life in those last days and in awe of the life that he had lived.' The day before he died, Reubens recorded an audio message for the docuseries. 'The reason I wanted to make a documentary was to let people see who I really am and how painful and difficult it was to be labeled something that I wasn't,' Reubens says in part, seemingly putting in great effort to speak. 'I wanted people to understand that occasionally where there is smoke, there isn't always fire. 'I wanted somehow for people to understand that my whole career, everything I did and wrote, was based in love and my desire to entertain and bring glee and creativity to young people and to everyone.'
