NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - When Paul Reubens decided in 2009 to revive Pee-wee Herman, the character he left behind nearly 20 years ago, it could have been a disaster -- or maybe even worse, a yawn.
Instead, the 58-year-old and his bowtie-wearing alter-ego have been everywhere lately, including on Broadway, where his "Pee-wee's Playhouse"-style stage production sold out 80 consecutive performances, and on "Saturday Night Live," where he did shots with Andy Samberg and cracked Anderson Cooper over the head with a chair.
Reubens is also teaming with Judd Apatow on a film not too dissimilar to "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," the 1985 Tim Burton movie that immortalized his impish catchphrase "I know you are, but what am I?" He'll also appear, in character, on an upcoming episode of Bravo's "Top Chef" taped, where else, the Alamo.
Oh, yeah, and his HBO special "The Pee-wee Herman Show Live on Broadway," a filmed capture of his live show, is up for a Primetime Emmy.
Reubens' astounding comeback is why he made for the perfect cover star of the latest EmmyWrap, our special printed edition, available now. Here's a condensed interview upon which the feature in the magazine was based.
Q: You're having quite a run. What made you decide to pick Pee-wee up again after all these years?
A: I had about two years where a producer would call me every two months and say, "How about now?" And I kept going, "Yeah, great!" And then two minutes later I'd think, I don't think so. I kind of liked my semi-retirement life, where every now and then I would get a call to be in a movie.
Q: Did you hesitate because you thought no one would care?
A: You know, I never really thought it had anything to do with that until opening night. Suddenly, I went, What happens if it doesn't get reviewed good or if people don't show up?
Q: You didn't think about that until opening night? How?
A: Stupid confidence. I am so obsessive-compulsive and detail-oriented on one side, and then there is a category that is so scattered around and I have no clue what it is. I know everything there is to know about most things that I'm working on, but then someone will ask me a question and I'll be like, "I have no idea what you're even talking about" - and it's some important aspect of it.
But I just didn't really think about any of that. My feeling was that I didn't get permission from anyone to have a career to begin with, so there wasn't really anyone to go back to ask, "Can I come back?" We all make up our own rules and we have to tailor them to the real rules and what's reality-based. For me, I just thought, I am ready. And if I'm ready, other people will be ready.
Q: Did any part of your decision have to do with wanting to reclaim your image after being tarnished by the 1991 arrest?
A: I don't have a comment about that. I've commented over and over on it. That was 20 years ago.
Q: I bring it up because it seems like people forgive and forget more quickly now.
A: That, I don't agree with. People always said to me, "People will have short memories." But that's untrue. People have memories like steel traps. They really do. That's a footnote to me that will never go away. I could win 150 billion Emmys and I'm still that guy. It is what it is. So, I don't have a comment. I don't have any regrets whatsoever. None. It turned me into a super-human person. It gave me super-powers. I don't fear about anything.
Q: Could you explain what you mean by super-powers?
A: When you go through a big, huge thing like that, you come out a different person. And I'm ready for anything. I have an enormous freedom and power now that makes me feel like I can do anything I want to do. I'm not waiting for people to give me their blessing. I'm just putting it out there. If you like it, great! If not, you know, it's the same thing that we have had since the 1950s: If you don't like it, change the channel. That's how I feel about it. I love what I do. I am very proud of what I do. I take what I did with kid's television very very seriously and a lot of that has to do with the people I've met who come and talk to me 20 years later about it. It's staggering.
Q: It's not easy to engineer a successful comeback. Are you satisfied yet?
A: This is corny, but I'm in it a lot right now to just have fun. I think there's difference for me now than there was when I did this the first time around when I was young and hungry and making my mark. Now that I'm older, I'm more into "life is too short." I don't have the same kind of patience. This is what I want to do, not this, or this. So, I just feel like as long as I keep having fun, I'm great.
Q: How surprised were you by the Emmy nomination?
A: Honestly, I couldn't believe it. I'm so humbled by it, I'm almost speechless about it.
Q: Your HBO special is up against Lady Gaga's. An epic battle in the making?
A: Yeah, but we're nothing like the rest of the stuff that's been nominated (in the same category). Mine's a musical. Hers is a concert. "The Kennedy Center Honors" is an event. Carrie Fisher is reading from her book. I've got, like, 40 people, actors, puppeteers, a plot, all kinds of stuff. We should actually be in a different category.
Q: I bet Lady Gaga wouldn't mind losing to Pee-wee Herman.
A: I just hope we don't wear the same thing to the Emmys. That's all I care about. That's my goal right now. I want to make sure I know what she's wearing ahead of time. If she wore a Pee-wee suit, that would be cool!
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