Nathan Fielder

 ( Official Website ) 

On the morning of February 7, 2014, a Coffeehouse called Dumb Starbucks Coffee opened in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The shop said it was operating as a parody of the global coffee company and coffeehouse chain Starbucks and used the chain's siren logo in its signage, cups, and other materials. In the episode Fielder says his understanding of parody law is "based off what I read on Wikipedia." The shop mocked items standard to most Starbucks locations like 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". Beverages and pastries were distributed free of charge. Some journalists initially speculated it was the work of British artist Banksy. A few days later, Starbucks announced that it was not affiliated with the shop and that it was "evaluating its next steps" due to the shop deliberately attempting to mimic a legitimate Starbucks location.

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

In 2015, Fielder started a not-for-profit company called Summit Ice Apparel after learning the Vancouver-based company Taiga published a tribute to Holocaust denier Doug Collins. Summit Ice produces soft shell jackets and was featured in Season 3 Episode 2 of Nathan for You.

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. The first three episodes premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival in Manhattan. The rest of the episodes aired on Paramount+ and were shown at Lincoln Center. Stone added Fielder to Time "100 Most Influential People in 2023". She called his ability to "move fluidly between directing, writing, acting, and producing, all while editing The Rehearsal" "a staggering feat." In 2025, Season 2 of The Rehearsal aired on HBO with a focus on aviation safety, receiving critical acclaim. The season's central idea of rehearsing and performing social interactions resonated with many autistic viewers, who viewed it as an analogy for autistic masking. After the overarching subject matter of aircraft pilots on The Rehearsal, Fielder became an FAA certified 737 commercial pilot in February 2025. As of 2025, he works as a Ferry flying for Nomadic Aviation Group, a company that transports empty planes around the world.