I am not as skilled in these things as you seem to be, but if you are correct, this may once again be the exuberance but alarming inexperience of NP rearing its ugly head. As always, not bashing him, just being realistic. And perhaps no one on his team at that time had enough experience to suggest to him another way such as Gilead's.

I run into this kind of situation with producers in film all the time. They cannot afford to pay an actor his full fee because of pension, health and welfare contributions that must be made to the Screen Actors Guild, but as as experienced attorney who learned from those more experienced than me, I suggest to the producer that he/she pay the actor a salary as actor, but part of it as a producer and give them a producer credit, thus eliminating those fees payable to the guild.

NP is learning on the job, not from someone mentoring him.