Although Nathan comes across as empathy-deficient at first glance, a more thorough inspection reveals his heart as big as the number of variables he accounts for in every situation. His interaction with one child actor in particular brings up a litany of moral questions about thrusting a young person, who may not be able to differentiate reality from scripted fantasy, into television acting. Beyond raising these questions, Nathan makes an exhaustive effort to find answers via The Fielder Method.
As hilarious as The Fielder Method is to watch because of its plain absurdity, its also deeply profound. It forces a person to consider how their actions are perceived by others, the role they play in the lives of other people, and at what point selfish desires for things like self-discovery or self-actualization create harm onto others. In this respect, the purpose of a rehearsal extends beyond the realm of making predictions about others into a space of meaningful self-reflection.
Sure, I could make the argument that Nathan is genuinely a good person by referencing the lengths he went to to ensure one particular child actor was not negatively affected by his experience on the show, but I think a better argument is made by looking at the production itself. Nathan wielded the mighty budget of HBO to give a payday for dozens of child actors families, to provide opportunities for actors that took a chance taking his truly outlandish Fielder Method course (and remember when he used HBO cash to pay one of an actor to make pizzas in his studio bar) and every person who had to plant whole cucumbers in the dirt or cover the house with snow or construct his many sets, I could go on.
I am so glad this show has been renewed for a second season. Nathan, I am all for you.