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Nathan Fielder

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Nathan Joseph Fielder (born May 12, 1983) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and producer. He is known for his awkward persona and involvement in works that blur reality and fiction. His accolades include an Independent Spirit Award and a WGA Award, as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award. In 2023, he was featured on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[1]

Nathan Fielder
Fielder in March 2017
Birth nameNathan Joseph Fielder
Born (1983-05-12) May 12, 1983 (age 41)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • television
  • film
Years active2006–present
Genres
Subject(s)

Fielder was interested in comedy from a young age, and as a teenager was involved in his school's improv group, which also featured fellow comedian Seth Rogen. He majored in Business at the University of Victoria, which would later influence his work. After attending a comedy course at Humber College, Fielder started his career as a correspondent for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes for the segment series Nathan on Your Side from 2008 to 2009. Fielder would later write and appear on the American sketch show Important Things with Demetri Martin (2011).

In 2013, he co-created and directed the Comedy Central parody reality show Nathan for You, in which Fielder stars as a slightly more awkward version of himself, who offers advice to struggling businesses. The show ended in 2017 and was followed by the HBO docu-comedy The Rehearsal (2022–present). Fielder also executive produced the HBO docu-series How To with John Wilson (2020–2023). In 2023, he and Benny Safdie created his first scripted show, Showtime's The Curse, in which he stars, alongside Safdie and Emma Stone.

Early life and education

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Nathan Joseph Fielder was born on May 12, 1983,[2][3][4] in Vancouver[5] to a Jewish family,[6] the son of social workers Deb and Eric Fielder.[7] He attended Point Grey Secondary School, where he was a member of the school's improv comedy group, which also included comedian Seth Rogen.[8] He worked as a magician during his teenage years and is a member of The Magic Castle.[9] He studied business at the University of Victoria, where he graduated with a BComm in 2005.[7][10] After university, he moved to Toronto and enrolled in Humber College's Comedy Program in 2006.[11][12] He worked briefly for a brokerage firm before quitting to start his comedy career.[13]

Career

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2006–2012: Early work

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After receiving the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award in 2006,[14] Fielder worked as a writer on Canadian Idol, where he was noticed by Michael Donovan, an executive producer for the CBC comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Donovan hired Fielder as a field correspondent, and developed his popular recurring segment, "Nathan on Your Side".[15] In 2010, Fielder wrote and directed a number of sketches for Season 2 of Important Things with Demetri Martin on Comedy Central.[16] He was also featured as a guest voice actor on the Season 2 finale of Bob's Burgers, "Beefsquatch", as well as the Season 6 episode, "The Land Ship".[16] Fielder played the role of Jon Benjamin's boom operator in the 2011 television series Jon Benjamin Has a Van,[16] and played Bob Woodward in the "Washington, DC" episode of Comedy Central's Drunk History.[17] Fielder has also guest-starred on the Adult Swim show Rick and Morty. He appeared in the 2015 film The Night Before and the 2017 biopic The Disaster Artist. Fielder also has a YouTube channel, mainly comprising short sketches involving him and his friends.[18]

2013–2017: Nathan for You

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In 2013, Fielder co-created his own show on Comedy Central called Nathan for You.[10] The show, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, was based on the "Nathan On Your Side" segments that he did for This Hour Has 22 Minutes.[10] The show's premise features Fielder, playing a persona loosely based on himself, providing advice for local small businesses.[7][19] In November 2017, the show finished its fourth and final season.[20]

 
Summit Ice pop-up store in 2017

On the morning of February 7, 2014, a coffee shop called Dumb Starbucks Coffee opened in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.[21] The shop stated that they were operating as a parody of the global coffee company and coffeehouse chain Starbucks and utilized the chain's siren logo in their signage, cups, and other materials.[22] In the episode Fielder states that his understanding of parody law is “based off what I read on Wikipedia.”[23] The shop mocked items standard to most Starbucks' locations such as Norah Jones CDs and drinks by using the term "Dumb" in front of the names, such as "Dumb Norah Jones Duets" and "Dumb Iced Vanilla Latte".[22] Beverages and pastries were distributed free of charge.[21] Some journalists initially speculated it was the work of British artist Banksy.[24] A few days later, Starbucks announced that they were not affiliated with the shop and that they were "evaluating [their] next steps" due to the shop deliberately attempting to mimic the look of a legitimate Starbucks location.[25]

The identity of the person behind the shop was not released initially, and various artists and comedians such as Banksy[26] and Tim & Eric were theorized to be involved with the prank[27] (the latter’s production company Abso Lutely Productions had applied for a filming permit at the Dumb Starbucks Coffee location).[28] On February 10, 2014, the shop was closed by the Los Angeles County Health Department for not having the permits required to operate a coffee shop.[29] Shortly thereafter, Fielder announced that he was behind the parody and the Los Angeles Times noted the prank's similarity to other skits performed on Fielder's show Nathan for You.[30]

Fielder started a not-for-profit company called Summit Ice Apparel in 2015, after learning that the Vancouver-based company Taiga posted a tribute to Holocaust denier Doug Collins. He decided to start his own company and produce soft shell jackets. This endeavor was shown during Season 3 of Nathan for You. 100% of Summit Ice Apparel's profits go to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre in Vancouver.[31] The company had close to $500,000 in sales in the first three months.[32] In March 2017, he opened up a pop-up shop in Vancouver where members of the public could buy Summit Ice Apparel or exchange their Taiga jacket for a Summit Ice jacket. Fielder himself worked the register. A film crew was also on-site.[33][34]

2018–present: Career expansion

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Fielder worked as a consulting producer, writer and co-director for the Sacha Baron Cohen created political mockumentary series Who is America? (2018). The following year it was announced that Fielder had signed an overall deal with HBO, under which he would serve as executive producer for the John Wilson created documentary series How To with John Wilson and star, write, and direct in a separate comedy series.[35] In 2022, Showtime picked up the comedy series The Curse, created and written by Fielder and filmmaker Benny Safdie, and starring Fielder, Safdie, and Emma Stone.[36][37] The first three episodes premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival.[38] The rest of the episodes aired on Paramount+ and were shown at Lincoln Center.[39] In 2021, HBO announced the name of another new comedy series, The Rehearsal, starring Fielder, who also served as writer, executive producer, and director. The Rehearsal was released in 2022 to critical acclaim.[40] For the series Fielder won the Independent Spirit Award for Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series.

Influences

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Some of the comedians Fielder has named as influences include Chris Morris[41] and Stephen Colbert.[42]

Personal life

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Fielder was married to a children's librarian, and divorced in 2014.[43] He is incorrectly listed as female on his U.S. green card.[44][45] He lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.[46]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Morris — Short film
Writer and director
2010 Kelly 5-9 Director Short film
2011 Way Up There — Short film
Writer and co-director
2012 Buyer's Market — Short film
Director
2013 The Web Manager Short film
Writer, director, and producer
2015 The Night Before Joshua
2017 The Disaster Artist Kyle Vogt
2021 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Justin

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Canadian Idol — Segment producer and writer
2008–09 This Hour Has 22 Minutes Nathan 9 episodes
2011 Important Things with Demetri Martin Various Characters Segment director
2011 Jon Benjamin Has a Van Nathan 10 episodes
Creative consultant
2011 Nick Swardson's Pretend Time Dan Hyannis Episode: "Legalize Meth"
2012–15 Bob's Burgers Jordan (voice) / Nathan (voice) 2 episodes
2013–14 Drunk History Bob Woodward 2 episodes
2013–15 Kroll Show Tommy Rothchild / Douglas Dubois / Gil 3 episodes
2013–17 Nathan for You Himself 32 episodes
Creator, writer, director, and executive producer
2014 The League Evan Episode: "When Rafi Met Randy"
2015 The Simpsons Doug Blattner (voice) Episode: "Sky Police"
2015 Childrens Hospital Matthew Hauser Episode: "Sperm Bank Heist"
2015 Rick and Morty Kyle (voice) Episode: "The Ricks Must Be Crazy"
2015 The Grinder Officer Collins Episode: "Buckingham Malice"
2016 Animals. DJ Lab Rat (voice) Episode: "Rats"
2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! Himself Episode: "Nathan Fielder Wears a Blue and Grey Flannel and Jeans"
2016 Transparent Seth Episode: "When the Battle Is Over"
2016 David: Story of David David Web series
2017 Tour de Pharmacy Stu Ruckman Television film
2018 Who Is America? — Consulting producer
Writer and co-director (episode 2)
Co-director (episode 4)
2020–2023 How To with John Wilson — Executive producer
2021 Saturday Morning All Star Hits! Corbee Episode: "Tape 8: LIVE!"
2022–present The Rehearsal Himself Creator, executive producer, writer, director
2023 The Curse Asher Main role; also co-creator, writer and director

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Project Result Ref.
2016 Writers Guild of America Award Comedy / Variety Series Nathan for You Nominated
2017 Comedy / Variety Tributes Nathan for You: A Celebration Nominated
Comedy / Variety Series Nathan for You Nominated
2018 Won
2018 Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directing - Variety Series Who is America? Nominated
2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series Nominated
2022 Independent Spirit Award Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series The Rehearsal Won

References

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  1. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People of 2023". Time. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  2. ^ "Celebrity-Birthdays-May12". Msn.com. 2022-05-12. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  3. ^ "@FamousBirthdays my birthday is May 12". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  4. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (February 28, 2013). "'Nathan for You' show the scapegoat for news hoax". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  5. ^ Efrem, Maia (October 23, 2015). "Comedian Nathan Fielder Creates Outerwear Company to Promote Holocaust Awareness". The Forward. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  6. ^ Grief, Amy (November 19, 2015). "Using comedy, Nathan Fielder raises over $100k for Holocaust awareness". Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Weiner, Jonah (June 12, 2014). "Nathan Fielder's Ingenious Dumb Humor". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  8. ^ Shamsian, Jacob (12 June 2014). "Nathan Fielder, Seth Rogen did improv together in high school". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  9. ^ Mooney, Kyle; Fox, Jesse David (October 15, 2015). "Kyle Mooney Talks to Nathan Fielder About Nathan for You, Kitchen Nightmares, and Magic". Vulture. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Semley, John. "Nathan Fielder, still on your side". Now Toronto. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  11. ^ Philps, Rebecca (July 14, 2015). "Cringe Benefits: Nathan Fielder's brand of gonzo comedy is surreal, squirm-inducing and surprisingly human". Toronto Life. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  12. ^ Berube, Chris (March 8, 2013). "The next big thing in comedy? It just might be this deadpan B.C. business grad". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  13. ^ Kaplan, Ben (April 4, 2013). "Q&A: Nathan For You isn't exactly a dream come true for Nathan Fielder". National Post. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  14. ^ "Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award – Past Recipients" (PDF). Ontario Arts Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  15. ^ Powell, Mike (June 25, 2014). "Nathan Fielder's Awkward Moment". Grantland. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  16. ^ a b c "Nathan Fielder biography". Archived from the original on September 10, 2012.
  17. ^ Heisler, Steve (July 9, 2013). "TV Reviews: Drunk History". A.V. Club. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  18. ^ "nathanfielder". YouTube. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  19. ^ Winkler, Joe (April 9, 2013). "The Understated, Absurd Comedy of 'Nathan for You'". Vulture. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  20. ^ Wright, Megh (October 17, 2018). "Comedy Central Confirms Nathan for You Will Not Return for Another Season". Vulture. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Moran, Lee (February 10, 2014). "'Dumb Starbucks Coffee' pop-up shop opens in Los Angeles". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  22. ^ a b Hayden, Erik; Kirby, Brandon (February 9, 2014). "'Dumb Starbucks' Shop Appears in L.A.'s Los Feliz". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  23. ^ Fontana, Kaitlin (November 24, 2015). "Nathan for Everyone". The Walrus Magazine.
  24. ^ Fontana, Kaitlin (November 24, 2015). "Nathan For Everyone". Walrus Magazine.
  25. ^ Lee, Jolie (February 10, 2014). "Starbucks responds to Dumb Starbucks in L.A." USA Today. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  26. ^ Prince, S.J. (February 10, 2014). "Is Dumb Starbucks Banksy? 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  27. ^ Teti, John (February 10, 2014). "Tim & Eric might be the ones behind a "Dumb Starbucks" coffee shop in L.A." AV Club. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  28. ^ Pritchard, Justin (February 11, 2014). "'Dumb Starbucks' in Los Angeles tied to comedy duo". Yahoo News. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  29. ^ Koonse, Emma (February 11, 2014). "'Dumb Starbucks' Coffee Shop Shut Down by Health Officials". The Christian Post. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  30. ^ Tatusian, Tenny (February 10, 2014). "Comedy Central's Nathan Fielder is behind Dumb Starbucks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  31. ^ "Home". Summit Ice Apparel. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  32. ^ Greene, Andy (September 15, 2017). "15 Things We Learned Hanging Out With Nathan Fielder". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  33. ^ Nadler, Lonnie (March 27, 2017). "I Went to Nathan Fielder's Holocaust Awareness Outdoor Apparel Sale". Vice. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  34. ^ "Nathan Fielder donates $150,000 to Holocaust education and opens first Summit Ice store in Vancouver". Summit Ice Apparel. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  35. ^ Otterson, Joe (August 12, 2019). "Nathan Fielder Sets HBO Overall Deal, Docu-Series and Comedy Pilot". Variety. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  36. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (18 February 2020). "Showtime Orders 'The Curse' Comedy Pilot From the Safdie Brothers & Nathan Fielder". Deadline. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  37. ^ Otterson, Joe (2020-12-10). "Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie to Star in Showtime Comedy Series 'The Curse'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  38. ^ "'The Curse': Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie's Show Becomes First TV Series To Premiere At NYFF, Wows Festival Artistic Director Dennis Lim". The Playlist. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  39. ^ "The Curse". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  40. ^ White, Peter (June 25, 2021). "Nathan Fielder Sets Up 'The Rehearsal' At HBO". Deadline.
  41. ^ "I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA". Reddit. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  42. ^ @nathanfielder (December 19, 2014). "I'm endlessly floored and inspired by Colbert. What an amazing run" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2017 – via Twitter.
  43. ^ Greene, Andy (September 7, 2017). "Nathan Fielder: How The Cult Comedian Rules the Outer Limits of Awkward". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  44. ^ Wright, Megh (July 17, 2014). "Nathan Fielder Shows David Letterman His Green Card". Vulture. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  45. ^ "Nathan Fielder's Green Card". Archived from the original on January 19, 2018.
  46. ^ "Nathan Fielder is Out of His Mind (And Inside Yours)". 5 July 2022.
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