Nathan Fielder does n’t listen make you uncomfortable . That hold true whether you ’re the subject of one of his cinéma vérité series , likeNathan for You , or if you ’re the looker . When drag people into his irreverent world of longsighted silences , awkward doubt , and progressively unhinged circumstances , Fielder is not just a comic — he ’s more of a comedian - slash - agitator .
In hisHBOseriesThe Rehearsal , Fielder invites invitee to practice some polar moments in their lives before things get real — and the line between comical incitation and psychological experiment begins to blur . For more on the ineffable Fielder , including his apparel line and a little - seen vane series , keep read .
Nathan Fielder was in a high school improv group with Seth Rogen.
Fielder , who was born in Vancouver , told Vulturethat his puerility was a mix of learning magical tricks , workingat a magic shop class in a mall , recording and tell support - up routines from the bookended segment onSeinfeld , and , afterward , joiningthe Point Grey Secondary School ’s high-pitched schooling improv team . One of the members was succeeding Emmy nomineeSeth Rogen . ( The two haveknowneach other since first grade . )
Rogen recalled that Fielder ’s idiosyncratic overture to comedy , which is demand and slightly inflexible , was evident early on on . “ It was not even on the table that he would act as like he was burning in lava , ” Rogen said . Their team tookthird placeat a interior improv rivalry , although Fielder was confused when he find the winning team had practice . “ We did n’t understand how you could rehearse improv , " Fielder said .
He made a lot of YouTube videos—and you can still watch them.
After attending line of work school at the University of Victoria , Fielder in short put to work at a brokerage firm before resolve to try his hand at comedy full - time . He wind up producing a number of short films that he on a regular basis uploaded to hisYouTube channel , includingonein which he holds up a thin gash of watermelon with no further context ( above ) as it flaps in the twist . FieldertoldRolling Stonethat “ people come up to me say that slight Watermelon is the best thing I ’ve ever done . ”
His Dumb Starbucks project was thought to be the work of Banksy.
Fielder continued his comedy calling by writingCanadian IdolandThis Hour Has 22 Minutes . In 2013 , Fielder debutedNathan for You , a Comedy Central series co - created with Michael Koman in which Fielder offered aid to struggling small business sector owners . Often , his increasingly complex and irrelevant plans — offer a shit - flavored icy yoghurt or forcing accelerator station client to boost a mountain to receive a discount — did virtually nothing for the entrepreneur feature . But Fielder did have a great success in 2014 with Dumb Starbucks , a parody store that Fielder picture could capitalize on the Starbucks name without summoning a legal response . As soon as the storefront open in Los Angeles , some believe it might be an elaborate clowning by elusive street artist Banksy . After three day , Fielder come out himself as the operator . The Department of Health shut the store down that same Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Nathan for Youshot an incredible amount of footage to make its 22-minute episodes.
Nathan for You , which endure for a total of four season , took Fielder and his semi - witting subject into more and more elaborate spectacles . In one episode , Fielder learned how to conducting wire - walk so someone else could get the credit . In another , he mastermind a pig - saves - goat viral video that was the body of work of frogman so a petting zoological garden could get promotion . All told , Fielder once estimated that about 90 hour of footage were required to make each 22 - minute episode .
Fielder owns a successful outdoor apparel brand.
After read about a clothing brand that had somehow deliver a tribute to a Holocaust denier , Fielderoptedto give his own dress party . He call itSummit Iceand vowed to donate 100 percentage of the payoff to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre . It seemed to live at the intersection between earnestness , cultural criticism , and comedy . “ When I was vernal , and until recently , I used to wear a jacket stigma called Taiga , which is from a workshop just down the street , " Fielder told Vice in 2017 . “ I divulge lately that they published a testimonial to a Holocaust denier in their wintertime catalogue , but I was wearing their jacket on my TV show . I felt like that was big because I was giving them packaging . I did n’t know what cap society to desire , so I thought it was easy to start my own company . ”
Fielder admits the customer service of process , however , could be good . He has described it as “ awful ” because “ there ’s not a full - time person that does it . It kind of jumps around between different people to superintend it . ”
He helped launch the television career of a private investigator.
In 2013 , Fielder enlisted secret investigator Brian Wolfe to assist him in a typically dumb plot where Wolfe was tasked with track Fielder down to see if the P.I. was worthy of a beneficial Yelp reappraisal . In one ofNathan for You ’s most memorable moment , Wolfe — confused by Fielder ’s eccentricities — dubbed him the “ whiz of loneliness ” because he has “ no supporter . ” He later referred to Fielder as a “ goober . ” Not long after , Wolfe was contacted by producer seem to develop a reality serial publication based on his business firm . Cry Wolfeaired on Investigation Discovery for three seasons between 2014 and 2016 .
He once starred in a scripted and fictional web series titledDavid.
Much of Fielder ’s output consists of a slightly distorted translation of himself interact with the real globe . That changed in 2016 , when Fielderappearedin the five - episode web seriesDavid . In it , Fielder play a man who recover out he has just workweek to populate thanks to a pitch-dark Lucy Stone growing inwardly of his heart . Jenny Slate cobalt - principal . The non-white clowning was originally on YouTube but does n’t appear to be presently available on the service . You may be able to find it onVimeo .
Nathan Fielder is very much like Nathan Fielder.
In a 2015 interview with The A.V. Club , Fielderoffered what might behis most succinct explanation yet of how his onscreen persona intersects with his bona fide self . ( It number after he was compared toAndy Kaufman . ) “ The version of me on the show is much more , manifestly , curb and careful than the me in tangible living because I ’m trying to get things out of people and produce situations that will be mirthful and interesting , ” he said . “ But at the same time , I also attempt to put myself into state of affairs that I do n’t know how they ’ll go — irregular scenario — so I in person will get thrown off and have to compute out a way out of it . I like doing that with the show as well … But I think the situation and the uncomfortable moments in the show also , I finger like , are designed to institute out a side of the other person that I find very charming and endear about them . ”
Nathan for Youco - God Almighty Michael Koman jibe . “ There ’s only about a 10 per centum divergence between the Nathan on the show and real - life Nathan , ” Koman toldRolling Stonein 2017 . “ The character is just an amplified rendering of him . ”
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A variation of this story tend in 2022 ; it has been updated for 2025 .
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