Born Nathaniel Marvin Wolff on Dec. 17, 1994 in Los Angeles, CA, he and brother Alex were the children of actress Polly Draper of “thirtysomething” (ABC, 1987-1991) and her husband, musician Michael Wolff, who served as bandleader on “The Arsenio Hall Show” (syndicated, 1989-1994). He developed an interest in music from his father, and soon fixated on the music and films of the Beatles; forming his own band was soon at the forefront of his mind, and while still a toddler, gave name to his future outfit when he and Alex climbed from a tub and announced themselves as the “naked brothers band.”
A group of sorts came together while Wolff was in pre-school; the Silver Boulders counted such celebrity offspring as Caleb Freundlich, son of Julianne Moore and director Bart Freundlich, and news reporter Ann Curry’s son, Walker. Around this time, Wolff also penned his first tune, “Mama Don’t Let Me Cry,” while only five years old. Acting was also becoming a preoccupation. Wolff posted a sign on his door that read, “I want to be a child actor!” for his parents to see, but Draper resisted, citing the rigors of the business and its effect on a normal childhood.
In 2001, following the September 11th attacks, Wolff, his brother – then only three – and his band performed a charity concert behind the family’s apartment. A benefit song, “Firefighters,” brought in $45,000 in donations for the children of firefighters who died in the tragedy, and later led to a flurry of performances at Christmas parties and other events. The rush of activity unfortunately signaled the end of the Silver Boulders, but also served as the launch of The Naked Brothers Band, with Nat on keyboards and vocals and his brother on drums.
Draper also relented on her decision about Wolff’s acting career, instead shooting a homemade feature titled “Don’t Eat Off My Plate,” which was comprised of interviews with her son and his friends. Both boys also joined their father in a recording studio to cut some songs, and the combination of events gave rise to Draper’s idea of a mock-documentary about her boys – a sort of “This is Spinal Tap” (1984) for pre-teens, with a healthy mix of the Beatles’ cinematic adventures – so in 2005, she wrote, directed and executive-produced “The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie,” an independent comedy feature about the Wolff boys, their band, and the ups and downs of the rock lifestyle. An energetic effort, buoyed by a battery of original songs by Wolff and celebrity cameos by Moore, Cyndi Lauper, Ricki Lake and Draper’s “thirtysomething” castmates, it attracted the attention of Nickelodeon, which proposed a sitcom based on the film’s premise.
Draper was again resistant to put her children into the long hours of television production; instead proposing a cartoon version that would only feature their voices. But the network remained committed to a live action version, which would expand on the frenetic premise and energy of the feature. “The Naked Brothers Band” series launched on Nickelodeon in 2007, and featured more original songs by Wolff and his brother, as well as a battery of famous guest stars, including Snoop Dogg, George Lopez and others. Draper continued to serve as producer and frequent director, while husband Wolff was the show’s music supervisor. The TV version of Wolff was an amusing spin on the phenomenon of the “cute one” in pop acts –dubbed “Girl Magnet” by his friends and admirers, Wolff only has eyes for the band’s bassist, Rosalina (Allie DiMeco), and their tentative relationship served as the backbone for the show’s first three seasons. For his efforts on the show, he was twice nominated as Favorite TV Actor by the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards – once in 2007 by the UK Kids Choice Awards, and then in 2008 by the U.S. version.
The show and its stars proved to be an instant hit with young audiences. The premiere of “The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie” was seen by 2.7 million viewers, while the show itself yielded 1.3 million viewers for its first 10 episodes, granting the network some of its highest numbers in years. The band’s first single, “Crazy Car,” sold more than 100,000 online downloads and spent seven weeks on the Billboard charts, and eventually led to an album and sporadic touring. Wolff and his brother remained blissfully unaware of their popularity until a 2007 autograph signing in Times Square, which was overrun by a throng of fans in full, Beatles-esque frenzy.