Nathan Joseph Fielder(born May 12, 1983) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and producer. He is known for hisawkward personaand involvement in works that blur reality and fiction. His accolades include anIndependent Spirit Awardand aWGA Award,as well as a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award.In 2023, he was featured onTime's list of the100 most influential people in the world.[1]
| Nathan Fielder | |
|---|---|
 Fielder in March 2017 | |
| Birth name | Nathan Joseph Fielder |
| Born | May 12, 1983 Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada |
| Medium |
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| Years active | 2006–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 comedianSeth Rogen.He majored in Business at theUniversity of Victoria,which would later influence his work. After attending a comedy course atHumber College,Fielder started his career as a correspondent forCBC'sThis Hour Has 22 Minutesfor the segment seriesNathan on Your Sidefrom 2008 to 2009. Fielder would later write and appear on the Americansketch showImportant Things with Demetri Martin(2011).
In 2013, he co-created and directed theComedy Centralparody reality showNathan 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 theHBOdocu-comedyThe Rehearsal(2022–present). Fielder also executive produced the HBO docu-seriesHow To with John Wilson(2020–2023). In 2023, he andBenny Safdiecreated his first scripted show,Showtime'sThe Curse,in which he stars, alongside Safdie andEmma Stone.
Early life and education
editNathan Joseph Fielder was born on May 12, 1983,[2][3][4]inVancouver[5]to aJewishfamily,[6]the son ofsocial workersDeb and Eric Fielder.[7]He attendedPoint Grey Secondary School,where he was a member of the school's improv comedy group, which also included comedianSeth Rogen.[8]He worked as a magician during his teenage years and is a member ofThe Magic Castle.[9]He studied business at theUniversity of Victoria,where he graduated with aBCommin 2005.[7][10]After university, he moved toTorontoand enrolled inHumber College'sComedy Programin 2006.[11][12]He worked briefly for a brokerage firm before quitting to start his comedy career.[13]
Career
edit2006–2012: Early work
editAfter receiving theTim SimsEncouragement Fund Award in 2006,[14]Fielder worked as a writer onCanadian Idol,where he was noticed byMichael Donovan,an executive producer for theCBCcomedy seriesThis 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 ofImportant Things with Demetri MartinonComedy Central.[16]He was also featured as a guest voice actor on the Season 2 finale ofBob's Burgers,"Beefsquatch",as well as the Season 6 episode," The Land Ship ".[16]Fielder played the role ofJon Benjamin's boom operator in the 2011 television seriesJon Benjamin Has a Van,[16]and playedBob Woodwardin the "Washington, DC" episode ofComedy Central'sDrunk History.[17]Fielder has also guest-starred on theAdult SwimshowRick and Morty.He appeared in the 2015 filmThe Night Beforeand the 2017 biopicThe Disaster Artist.Fielder also has aYouTubechannel, mainly comprising short sketches involving him and his friends.[18]
2013–2017:Nathan for You
editIn 2013, Fielder co-created his own show onComedy CentralcalledNathan for You.[10]The show, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, was based on the "Nathan On Your Side" segments that he did forThis 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]
On the morning of February 7, 2014, acoffee shopcalledDumb Starbucks Coffeeopened in theLos Felizneighborhood of Los Angeles.[21]The shop stated that they were operating as aparodyof the global coffee company and coffeehouse chainStarbucksand utilized the chain'ssirenlogo 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 asNorah JonesCDsand 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 asBanksy[26]andTim & Ericwere theorized to be involved with the prank[27](the latter’s production companyAbso Lutely Productionshad 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 theLos Angeles Timesnoted the prank's similarity to other skits performed on Fielder's showNathan for You.[30]
Fielder started anot-for-profitcompany called Summit Ice Apparel in 2015, after learning that theVancouver-based company Taiga posted a tribute to Holocaust denierDoug Collins.He decided to start his own company and producesoft shell jackets.This endeavor was shown during Season 3 ofNathan 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 apop-up shopinVancouverwhere 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
editFielder worked as a consulting producer, writer and co-director for theSacha Baron Cohencreated politicalmockumentaryseriesWho is America?(2018). The following year it was announced that Fielder had signed anoverall dealwithHBO,under which he would serve as executive producer for theJohn Wilsoncreated documentary seriesHow To with John Wilsonand star, write, and direct in a separate comedy series.[35]In 2022,Showtimepicked up the comedy seriesThe Curse,created and written by Fielder and filmmakerBenny Safdie,and starring Fielder, Safdie, andEmma Stone.[36][37]The first three episodes premiered at the2023 New York Film Festival.[38]The rest of the episodes aired onParamount+and were shown atLincoln 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 Rehearsalwas released in 2022 to critical acclaim.[40]For the series Fielder won theIndependent Spirit Award for Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series.
Influences
editSome of the comedians Fielder has named as influences includeChris Morris[41]andStephen Colbert.[42]
Personal life
editFielder was married to a children's librarian, and divorced in 2014.[43]He is incorrectly listed as female on hisU.S. green card.[44][45]He lives inSilver Lake, Los Angeles.[46]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit- ^"The 100 Most Influential People of 2023".Time.Retrieved2023-04-17.
- ^"Celebrity-Birthdays-May12".Msn.com. 2022-05-12. Archived fromthe originalon 2022-08-11.Retrieved2022-08-12.
- ^"@FamousBirthdays my birthday is May 12".Twitter.Retrieved2022-12-19.
- ^Itzkoff, Dave (February 28, 2013)."'Nathan for You' show the scapegoat for news hoax ".The Columbus Dispatch.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^Efrem, Maia (October 23, 2015)."Comedian Nathan Fielder Creates Outerwear Company to Promote Holocaust Awareness".The Forward.RetrievedDecember 7,2017.
- ^Grief, Amy (November 19, 2015)."Using comedy, Nathan Fielder raises over $100k for Holocaust awareness".Canadian Jewish News.RetrievedFebruary 13,2020.
- ^abcWeiner, Jonah (June 12, 2014)."Nathan Fielder's Ingenious Dumb Humor".The New York Times Magazine.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^Shamsian, Jacob (12 June 2014)."Nathan Fielder, Seth Rogen did improv together in high school".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved8 September2022.
- ^Mooney, Kyle; Fox, Jesse David (October 15, 2015)."Kyle Mooney Talks to Nathan Fielder About Nathan for You, Kitchen Nightmares, and Magic".Vulture.RetrievedSeptember 20,2017.
- ^abcSemley, John."Nathan Fielder, still on your side".Now Toronto.Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^Philps, Rebecca (July 14, 2015)."Cringe Benefits: Nathan Fielder's brand of gonzo comedy is surreal, squirm-inducing and surprisingly human".Toronto Life.RetrievedOctober 5,2017.
- ^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.RetrievedOctober 26,2017.
- ^Kaplan, Ben (April 4, 2013)."Q&A: Nathan For You isn't exactly a dream come true for Nathan Fielder".National Post.RetrievedSeptember 18,2017.
- ^"Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award – Past Recipients"(PDF).Ontario Arts Foundation.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on November 16, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^Powell, Mike (June 25, 2014)."Nathan Fielder's Awkward Moment".Grantland.RetrievedDecember 8,2017.
- ^abc"Nathan Fielder biography".Archived fromthe originalon September 10, 2012.
- ^Heisler, Steve (July 9, 2013)."TV Reviews: Drunk History".A.V. Club.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^"nathanfielder".YouTube.RetrievedSeptember 22,2017.
- ^Winkler, Joe (April 9, 2013)."The Understated, Absurd Comedy of 'Nathan for You'".Vulture.RetrievedDecember 8,2017.
- ^Wright, Megh (October 17, 2018)."Comedy Central ConfirmsNathan for YouWill Not Return for Another Season ".Vulture.RetrievedNovember 20,2018.
- ^abMoran, Lee (February 10, 2014)."'Dumb Starbucks Coffee' pop-up shop opens in Los Angeles ".New York Daily News.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^abHayden, Erik; Kirby, Brandon (February 9, 2014)."'Dumb Starbucks' Shop Appears in L.A.'s Los Feliz ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^Fontana, Kaitlin (November 24, 2015)."Nathan for Everyone".The Walrus Magazine.
- ^Fontana, Kaitlin (November 24, 2015)."Nathan For Everyone".Walrus Magazine.
- ^Lee, Jolie (February 10, 2014)."Starbucks responds to Dumb Starbucks in L.A."USA Today.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^Prince, S.J. (February 10, 2014)."Is Dumb Starbucks Banksy? 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know".Heavy.com.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^Teti, John (February 10, 2014)."Tim & Eric might be the ones behind a" Dumb Starbucks "coffee shop in L.A."AV Club.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^Pritchard, Justin (February 11, 2014)."'Dumb Starbucks' in Los Angeles tied to comedy duo ".Yahoo News.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^Koonse, Emma (February 11, 2014)."'Dumb Starbucks' Coffee Shop Shut Down by Health Officials ".The Christian Post.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^Tatusian, Tenny (February 10, 2014)."Comedy Central's Nathan Fielder is behind Dumb Starbucks".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
- ^"Home".Summit Ice Apparel.RetrievedSeptember 18,2017.
- ^Greene, Andy (September 15, 2017)."15 Things We Learned Hanging Out With Nathan Fielder".Rolling Stone.RetrievedSeptember 19,2017.
- ^Nadler, Lonnie (March 27, 2017)."I Went to Nathan Fielder's Holocaust Awareness Outdoor Apparel Sale".Vice.RetrievedSeptember 18,2017.
- ^"Nathan Fielder donates $150,000 to Holocaust education and opens first Summit Ice store in Vancouver".Summit Ice Apparel.RetrievedSeptember 20,2017.
- ^Otterson, Joe (August 12, 2019)."Nathan Fielder Sets HBO Overall Deal, Docu-Series and Comedy Pilot".Variety.RetrievedNovember 29,2019.
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (18 February 2020)."Showtime Orders 'The Curse' Comedy Pilot From the Safdie Brothers & Nathan Fielder".Deadline.Retrieved1 March2021.
- ^Otterson, Joe (2020-12-10)."Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie to Star in Showtime Comedy Series 'The Curse'".Variety.Retrieved2022-07-02.
- ^"'The Curse': Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie's Show Becomes First TV Series To Premiere At NYFF, Wows Festival Artistic Director Dennis Lim ".The Playlist.RetrievedJanuary 21,2024.
- ^"The Curse".Film at Lincoln Center.RetrievedJanuary 21,2024.
- ^White, Peter (June 25, 2021)."Nathan Fielder Sets Up 'The Rehearsal' At HBO".Deadline.
- ^"I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of" Nathan for You "on Comedy Central. AMA".Reddit.July 14, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon May 15, 2023.RetrievedDecember 13,2023.
- ^@nathanfielder (December 19, 2014)."I'm endlessly floored and inspired by Colbert. What an amazing run"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon September 6, 2022.RetrievedMay 10,2017– viaTwitter.
- ^Greene, Andy (September 7, 2017)."Nathan Fielder: How The Cult Comedian Rules the Outer Limits of Awkward".Rolling Stone.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
- ^Wright, Megh (July 17, 2014)."Nathan Fielder Shows David Letterman His Green Card".Vulture.RetrievedSeptember 20,2017.
- ^"Nathan Fielder's Green Card".Archived fromthe originalon January 19, 2018.
- ^"Nathan Fielder is Out of His Mind (And Inside Yours)".5 July 2022.
External links
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