In late 2023, A24’s newest TV show debuted across Paramount+ and Showtime. A dark comedy satire starring A-lister Emma Stone, Uncut Gems (2019) director Benny Safdie, and a seemingly new breakout actor: Nathan Fielder. For many fans of comedy, however, Fielder had already been a familiar face. The cult comedian first started catching attention with his Comedy Central TV show, Nathan For You, an unhinged docu-reality show created by and starring Fielder that ran for 4 seasons from 2013-2017. Nathan Fielder’s deadpan docu-comedy style then leveled up even more in 2022, as well as his recognizable status, when he created and starred in HBO’s The Rehearsal. Which has since been renewed to return for a second season.
As of January 2024, A24’s The Curse just concluded season one and many fans of the satirical, intentionally-awkward, anxiety-inducing thriller are more curious about the man behind Asher Siegal. Whether you are a longtime Fielder fan or a newcomer looking for some Fielder knowledge, we are here to deliver you the fascinating facts that you should definitely know about the Canadian comedian.
1. As A Response To A Popular Nathan For You Episode, He Actually Founded A Non-Profit Jacket Company That Donates All Proceeds To Holocaust Awareness Orgs
Photo: Comedy Central
In season 3, episode 2 of Nathan for You, Nathan Fielder finds out that his favorite jacket company was founded by a Holocaust denier. In retaliation, he starts his own outdoor apparel company called Summit Ice. To keep his clothing store “historically ethical,” all the proceeds from its sales are donated to Holocaust awareness organizations and help fund the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre in Canada.
It may seem absurd to use an outdoor clothing company to promote Holocaust awareness, but the fundraising efforts are actually successful. Selling soft-shell jackets, t-shirts and toques has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the VHEC.
2. Sometimes Entire Nathan For You Episodes And Elaborate Schemes Were Filmed, But Never Actually Aired
Photo: Comedy Central
Not all of Nathan’s schemes pan out as intended. In fact, some of the ideas he concocts fall flat. The crew may spend an entire episode’s worth of time and production budget trying to strike gold as they dig into subjects and their businesses, only to hit a wall.
In a failed attempt to make a spiritual worker’s business extra money, Nathan came up with a plan for the Reiki healer to charge a fee to bottle her patient’s negative energy and throw it away. After filming the practice and realizing it didn’t translate to camera, the crew cut it completely.
3. He Originally Wanted To Pursue A Career In The Medical Field, And Nearly Became A College Dropout Because Of It
Photo: Comedy Central
While Nathan did go to a university, his first choice wasn’t the University of Victoria, as he likes to brag about in the introduction to Nathan for You. Instead, he attended the University of British Columbia for general sciences, thinking that he’d go on to pursue a career in the medical field.
He hated it and successfully petitioned his dean for an incomplete grade on his remaining classes. After his transcripts were cleared, Nathan was able to transfer into a business major at the University of Victoria. He didn’t exactly like it, but at least he graduated.
4. Seth Rogen Has Been His Friend Since Their High School Days
Photo: Flickr
Nathan Fielder and Seth Rogen are long-time buddies that go way back to their high school days. The two joined an improv team and regularly practiced together. Their comedy style clicked so well that their group made it all the way to the national competition in Ottowa, Canada. They were relatively inexperienced, but Nathan and Seth walked away with an impressive third place win.
5. The Wire-Walking Stunt In Season 3 Of Nathan For You Took Him Nine Months Of Training
Photo: Comedy Central
Season 3 of Nathan for You ends with Nathan Fielder pulling off a wire-walking stunt while impersonating a man from Ventura, California named Corey Calderwood. Nathan’s goal was to turn Calderwood into a hero. To carry out the grand finale and cement Corey’s legendary status, Nathan had to perfect tightrope walking. Since his main professional foundations are magic tricks, a couple medical classes, a business degree, and a television show, Nathan had to go through a lot of training to pull off the walk.
Nathan trained on the weekends for his wire walking debut, and it took him nine months to get to a point where he felt semi-confident pulling off the dangerous stunt. Things worked out perfectly, and Nathan completed the feat without a hitch.
6. A YouTube Video Of His From Over Ten Years Ago Still Gets Constantly Quoted From His Fans Today
Old school fans of Nathan Fielder’s comedy still can’t get enough of a YouTube video he made while working on the show Important Things with Demetri Martin. According to Nathan, people continue to tell him that ‘Thin Watermelon’ is his best work.
7. He Is A Magic Enthusiast And Has Even Practiced It As A Personal Hobby
Photo: Comedy Central
Nathan Fielder absolutely loves magic. While living in Vancouver, Nathan not only practiced magic for fun but admittedly became obsessed with it. During his high school years, he was totally dedicated to it, even working at a magic shop and performing shows as a full-fledged performing magician.
Nathan also has a membership to an exclusive, private magical arts club in Los Angeles called the Magic Castle. He’s picky about the type of magic he likes — he’s a big fan of theatrical magic but doesn’t care much for comedy magic.
8. He Keeps His Dating Life Very Private And Does Not Like To Discuss His 2014 Divorce
Photo: Comedy Central
While filming Nathan for You, Nathan Fielder was going through a separation that seems to be a very sensitive subject for the comedian. Although he doesn’t like to talk about it in interviews, public record reflects that his former wife, a Canadian children’s librarian, filed a request for divorce with the Los Angeles County Superior Courts in 2014, The pair split for undisclosed reasons. He doesn’t like to talk about the subject but will admit that it was very hard on him.
9. He Is A Huge Fan Of Gordon Ramsay And His Cooking Shows
Photo: Comedy Central
Nathan Fielder used to show episodes of Kitchen Nightmares to his friends and crew while hanging out in the studio. He even goes so far as to refer to its raging chef and host, Gordon Ramsay, as “one of the best.”
Although he loves the show, he says he didn’t sculpt the framework of Nathan for You around Kitchen Nightmares. Instead, he based his own show on Canadian programs that center on customer service, consumer advocacy, business, and technology.
10. The Signature Emotionless Yet Awkward Demeanor He Brings To The TV Screen Is Actually How He Will Act In Real Life
Photo: Comedy Central
Nathan Fielder is a long-practiced improv actor, and the awkward persona that he presents doesn’t differ much from his real-life personality. Nathan for You co-creator Michael Koman vouches for the lack of difference, stating that there’s only about a 10% change between on and off-screen Nathan. Some have compared Fielder to Andy Kaufman in the way he blurs the lines between reality and his television character.