Consider this a favorite re-wrapped Christmas gift just for you—Matt Wolf's PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF documentary is streaming now on HBO, reminding us all that the best presents are the ones that make us feel like kids again. This holiday season we're celebrating filmmakers who find magic in obsession and who build their own creative communities one passion project at a time. So pour yourself some eggnog, settle in by the fireplace, and unwrap our conversation with Matt—a filmmaker who turned his love of underground artists into a career that spans from cello-playing disco composers to the most beloved man-child in American comedy…
It's a walk and talk through Matt Wolf's Lower East Side neighborhood as Ben unspools the making of WILD COMBINATION and Matt's path as a gay teen activist to documentary filmmaker. Matt opens up about why he never puts his own money into projects (and how he's managed to pull that off), the importance of finishing what you start, and finding archives you didn't know existed. We dig into his new soap opera doc filming behind the scenes at THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, and Matt shares his philosophy on building a body of work that surprises even himself. Plus: the secret to finding your creative community in a Melrose Place-style Manhattan courtyard.
Timestamps:
00:00 Walking to Meet Matt Wolf in New York
01:26 Matt's Melrose Place: Building Community in Manhattan
02:33 First Connections: Wild Combination and Arthur Russell
05:11 From Gay Teen Activist to Documentary Filmmaker
08:21 The Documentary That Was Made About Matt (And Why He Hated It)
09:45 Paper Tiger Television and the Experimental Film World
11:46 How Wild Combination Became a Feature (Accidentally)
13:11 Finding Your Niche and Telling Stories That Connect
16:29 The Search for Stories: Archives and Access
20:56 Never Put Your Own Money In: Matt's Golden Rule
23:41 Taking a Break (And Why It Never Really Works)
25:32 The New Project: Behind the Scenes of Soap Operas
28:16 The State of Documentary: Shrinking Budgets and Staying True
31:27 Building a Body of Work That Surprises You
33:19 What Keeps Matt Going: The Love of the Work
35:37 Advice for Filmmakers: Finish What You Start
37:01 Wrapping Up the Walk
Discussion Links:
WILD COMBINATION: A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR RUSSELL (2008) | PEE-WEE HERMAN AS HIMSELF (2025) | WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (1995) | SPACESHIP EARTH (2020) | THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (1973-present) | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1987-present)
