Charlie Day's Entire Sense Of Humor Came From A Pee-Wee Movie | Sorry Not Sorry

Everyone has one movie they've watched so many times they can practically recite it. Maybe it introduced you to your favorite genre. Maybe it inspired you to take up a new hobby. Or maybe, years later, you suddenly realize you've been quoting it without even thinking about it. For Charlie Day, that movie is 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

WATCH: Charlie Day's Entire Sense of Humor Came From a Pee-Wee movie?!

Speaking to JustWatch while promoting the 2026 comedy mystery thriller Kill Me, Day was very forthcoming when asked which movie he'd defend no matter what. He actually went one step further and admitted that it influenced his entire sense of humor. "The first Pee-wee Herman movie," he said. It's not underrated. But I think it's a masterpiece."

Day went on to gush over the film's star, Paul Reubens. "He's so fantastic, and the choices are so bold, and that movie is so genuinely still funny to this day," the actor explained. "And every now and then I'll re-watch that movie and think like, 'I got my entire sense of humor from this film.'" It's a pretty big admission, but once you've seen the movie, it starts making a lot more sense.

Directed by Tim Burton, Pee-wee's Big Adventure follows the titular protagonist (Reubens) after his custom bicycle is stolen. Convinced it's somewhere out in the world waiting to be found, he sets off on a cross-country adventure that somehow becomes stranger with every stop. But Pee-wee approaches every situation with complete sincerity, even when everything around him is completely ridiculous.

After Day pointed out the influence the film had on his career, it's difficult not to notice the similarities that can be spotted in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005). Whether he's obsessing over rats in the bar or presenting one of his spectacularly bad plans to his friends, Charlie Kelly (Day's character in the comedy series) never acts like he's in on the joke. To him, it all makes perfect sense.

Movies Influence Us More Than We Probably Realize

Charlie Day isn't the only person who can trace a little piece of themselves back to a favorite movie. Most of us can, even if we don't think about it very often. You watch a film about a writer, and suddenly the idea of writing your own stories doesn't seem so impossible. You hear a line that makes you laugh and find yourself repeating it because you thought it sounded cool.

You might even want to buy the same jacket you saw a character wearing or get the same haircut. Remember how everyone in the world was asking for the Rachel Green Friends hairstyle in 1994? It turns out there's a psychological explanation for that. Researchers describe it as observational learning, which is the idea that people naturally pick up behaviors and habits simply by watching others.

While the concept is often associated with friends and family members, fictional characters can leave an impression too, especially when we admire them or spend a lot of time watching them. That doesn't mean we're copying everything we see on screen. Most of the time, we're not even aware it's happening. We borrow little things because we like them, and eventually they become part of our own personalities.

Why To Watch 'Pee-Wee's Big Adventure' (And What To Watch After)

More than 40 years after its release, Pee-wee's Big Adventure still feels unlike almost anything else. Tim Burton's first feature film mixes road trip comedy with oddball humor, cartoon logic, and a surprising amount of heart. Reubens completely commits to the character from beginning to end, never once treating Pee-wee like the punchline.

The world created in the film might be completely crazy, but Pee-wee never sees it that way. If that movie leaves you wanting more offbeat humor, Fool's Paradise is the obvious place to go next. Day's 2023 comedy follows a silent man who accidentally finds fame as a Hollywood actor. The film features plenty of visual comedy and bizarre situations that are just unpredictable enough to keep you guessing.

There's also It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which is arguably the best example of Day's comedic prowess. His character, Charlie Kelly, may be far more chaotic than Pee-wee Herman, but they share one important quality. Both characters are completely committed to their own reality, no matter how strange everyone else thinks it is.