Nathaniel Marvin Wolff (born December 17, 1994) is an American actor, musician, and singer-songwriter. He initially gained recognition for composing the music for The Naked Brothers Band (2007–2009), a Nickelodeon television series he starred in with his younger brother, Alex, that was created by his actress mother, Polly Draper. Wolff's jazz musician father, Michael Wolff, co-produced the series' soundtrack albums The Naked Brothers Band (2007) and I Don't Want to Go to School (2008), both of which placed the 23rd spot on the Billboard 200 charts.

After the Nickelodeon series concluded, he and his brother formed the music duo Nat & Alex Wolff and they released the albums Black Sheep (2011), Public Places (2016), and Table for Two (2023). Wolff later became known for his lead role in the film Paper Towns (2015) and starring in other movies, such as Admission (2013), Behaving Badly (2013), Palo Alto (2013), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), Ashby (2015), Home Again (2017), the Netflix adaptation of Death Note (2017), Stella's Last Weekend (2018), Rosy (2018), and Mortal (2020).

Early life

Wolff was born on December 17, 1994, in Los Angeles, California, to jazz musician Michael Wolff and actress Polly Draper. He is the older brother of actor and musician Alex Wolff. His uncle is venture capitalist Tim Draper, and he is a cousin to TV personality and venture capitalist Jesse Draper. He is also a maternal grandson of venture capitalist and civic leader William Henry Draper III, and a great-grandson to banker and diplomat William Henry Draper, Jr. His father is Jewish, while his mother is from a Christian background, and Wolff was raised "culturally Jewish."

Wolff has Tourette's syndrome that he inherited from his father.

When he and his younger brother were toddlers, they climbed out of the bathtub and referred to themselves as "the naked brothers band", which inspired the name of the Nickelodeon TV series.

Wolff taught himself to play major and minor chords on the piano at the age of 4. As his father recalls, "I asked him, 'How did you learn them?' He said, 'Dad, they're right here.' I said, 'What are those chords?' He said, 'These are my proud chords.'" Around this age, his passion for The Beatles emboldened him to start writing his own songs. Throughout the years he attended preschool, he, alongside his best friends, constructed a band called The Silver Boulders.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he held his seventh birthday party outside his apartment, where he and his band performed a song he composed called "Firefighters". The benefit concert was a success; it garnered over $46,000 and was donated to the families of New York City Fire Department's Squad 18.

As an 8 year old, Wolff placed a sign on his bedroom door stating: "I want to be a child actor!" In response, his mother appeased him by suggesting they film a home movie titled Don't Eat Off My Plate, which later served as the basis for The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie.

Despite the success of the subsequent Nickelodeon series over the course of three seasons, the network proposed to shoot a 30 TV movie fourth season during the school year, leading his parents to cancel the series in 2009. From the beginning, they were hesitant to expose him and his brother to stardom at a young age and later agreed to the series spin-off on the provision that filming would take place only during the summer and early fall, allowing him and his brother to proceed with their enrollment at private school in New York City.

In 2008, Wolff, then aged 13, wrote a song called "Yes We Can" that was featured in the Nickelodeon TV series, as a tribute to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The song was overheard by Obama and his two daughters, who endorsed it and called him to express their gratitude.

Career

"Having our life turned into a mockumentary wasn't as big a deal as some would think. We took all the friendships, Alex's one liners, and my music and put it into a storyline; it was a heightened reality... The show created a great audience for us..."
Wolff at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

During his childhood, Wolff began his acting career off-Broadway with a minor role in his mother's play Getting into Heaven (2003) and in Heartbeat to Baghdad (2004), both staged at The Flea Theater in Manhattan, New York. At this time, he frequently performed at the Improv Comedy Club, also located in Manhattan.

He later gained recognition, at the age of 9, for starring in and contributing lead vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation for The Naked Brothers Band film that was written and directed by his mother and screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2005.

However, Wolff did not first rise to prominence until he was 12 years old after the film was bought by a former Nickelodeon executive at the festival as the pilot for the Nickelodeon television series of the same name (2007–09). The series was also created, showran, written, and directed by his mother, while his brother was featured in the ensemble cast and played the drums. His father co-starred, as well as produced and supervised the music. It released two soundtrack albums that were charted on the Billboard 200, with the single "Crazy Car" ranking #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wolff, who was 9 when he recorded the song under the guidance of his father in the studio, is believed to be the youngest person to compose a song featured on the Billboard charts.

His TV movie credits include a cameo in Mr. Troop Mom (2009), as well as starring alongside his brother in Stella's Last Weekend (2018), which was written and directed by his mother, who also co-starred. He appeared in the Netflix film based on the manga of the same name Death Note (2017), and was cast in several theatrical movies, such as New Year's Eve (2011), Peace, Love & Misunderstanding (2011), Admission (2013), Palo Alto (2013), Behaving Badly (2014), The Fault in Our Stars (2015), Paper Towns (2015), Home Again (2017), Rosy (2018), Good Posture (2019), and Mortal (2020).

Wolff's other off-Broadway performances comprise roles in his brother's play What Would Woody Do? (2010) at The Flea Theater, and in the revival of Sam Shepard's play Buried Child (2016).

In 2024, he and his brother toured with Billie Eilish as the opening act for the American leg of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour.

Personal life

He and Billie Eilish met in early 2024 and have been romantically linked since June 2025. In May 2026, they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Los Angeles premiere of Eilish's concert film, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005The Naked Brothers Band: The MovieNat Wolff / Himself
2011New Year's EveWalter
Special Things To DoCliff FinleyShort film
Peace, Love & MisunderstandingJake Hudson
2012Stuck in LoveRusty Borgens
2013AdmissionJeremiah Balakian
The Last KeepersSimon
Palo AltoFred
2014The Fault in Our StarsIsaac
Behaving BadlyRick Stevens
2015GrandmaCam
AshbyEd Wallis
Paper TownsQuentin "Q" Jacobsen
The InternJustin
2016In Dubious BattleJim Nolan
2017Leap!VictorVoice role
Death NoteLight Turner
Home AgainTeddy Dorsey
2018RosyDoug
Stella's Last WeekendJack
2019The Kill TeamAndrew Briggman
Good PostureJon
Semper FiOyster
2020MortalEric
Body CamDanny
MainstreamJake
2021The Great Gatsby Live Read!Jay Gatsby
2022Murder at Yellowstone CityYoung Jim Ambrose
2023Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part OneBatman / Bruce WayneVoice role
2024Which Brings Me to YouWillAlso producer
PavementsScott Kannberg
2025Play DirtyKincaid
TBAShe Gets It from MeJohnPost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007–2009The Naked Brothers BandNat Wolff / HimselfMain cast; 42 episodes
2009Mr. Troop MomNat Wolff / HimselfTelevision film
2017Room 104Elder JosephEpisode: "The Missionaries"
2020–21The StandLloyd HenreidTelevision miniseries; main cast
2022Joe vs. CaroleTravis MaldonadoLimited series
2023The ConsultantCraigMain cast; 8 episodes

Music videos

YearSongArtistRoleNotes
2019"Graduation"Benny Blanco, Juice WrldJasper
2024"Chihiro"Billie EilishLove-interest

Stage

YearTitleRoleVenueNotes
2016Buried ChildVinceThe New GroupOff-Broadway
2023The Seagull/Woodstock, NYKevin

Albums

Soundtrack albums as part of the TV series The Naked Brothers Band

Studio albums as duo Nat & Alex Wolff

  • 2011: Black Sheep
  • 2016: Public Places
  • 2023: Table for Two

Singles

  • 2014: Cities + It's Just Love
  • 2014: Last Station + Rules
  • 2014: Where I'm Goin' + Rock Star
  • 2019: Cool Kids + Note

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResult
2005Hamptons International Film FestivalAudience Award – Family Feature FilmThe Naked Brothers Band: The MovieWon
2007BMI AwardsCable AwardThe Naked Brothers BandWon
2008Young Artist AwardsBest Young Ensemble Performance in a TV SeriesNominated
2009Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young ActorNominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice AwardsFavorite Television ActorNominated
2010Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young ActorNominated
2014Young Hollywood AwardsBreakthrough ActorHimselfNominated
Teen Choice AwardsChoice Movie: Scene StealerThe Fault in Our StarsWon
Choice Movie: Chemistry (with Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley)Won
2015Choice Summer Movie Star: MalePaper TownsNominated
CinemaCon AwardsRising StarHimselfWon

The Naked Brothers Band film and TV series earned Wolff two awards and many other nominations. In 2005, The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie obtained him an Audience Award for a Family Feature Film. He received a Broadcast Music, Inc. Cable Award for composing the series' music in 2007. In 2008, Wolff was given a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Ensemble Performance in a TV Series. Wolff took another Young Artist Award nomination for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actor and one Kids' Choice Award nomination for Best TV Actor in 2009. In 2010, he was also given a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actor.

In 2014, Wolff won two Teen Choice Awards in the categories of Choice Movie: Scene Stealer and Choice Movie: Chemistry for The Fault in Our Stars. That following year in 2015, he was honored with a CinemaCon Award for a Rising Star.

External links