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Kunal Nayyar
Kunal Nayyar at Berlinale 2024.jpg
Nayyar in 2024
Born (1981-04-30) 30 April 1981 (age 44)
Education St. Columba's School
Alma mater
Occupation Actor
Years active 2004–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 2011)

Kunal Nayyar (born April 30, 1981) is a British actor. He became famous for playing the character Raj Koothrappali on the TV show The Big Bang Theory. This popular show was on CBS from 2007 to 2019.

He also lent his voice to Vijay in the animated TV show Sanjay and Craig (2013–2016). In 2021, he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award. This was for his role in the show Criminal: UK.

Forbes magazine said he was one of the world's highest-paid TV actors in 2015 and 2018. An asteroid, 8627 Kunalnayyar, is even named after him!

Early Life and Education

Kunal Nayyar was born in Hammersmith, London, England, on April 30, 1981. His family moved back to New Delhi, India, when he was three years old. He grew up there and went to St. Columba's School. He was good at sports and played badminton for his school team.

In 1999, Nayyar moved to the United States. He studied business at the University of Portland in Oregon. While he was there, he started taking acting classes. He also performed in several school plays.

After taking part in a college theater festival, Nayyar decided he wanted to be an actor. He then went to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, he earned a special degree in acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Kunal Nayyar
Nayyar on a tour of The Big Bang Theory in 2008

After finishing his studies, Kunal Nayyar started working in American TV commercials. He also performed in plays in London. He first got noticed in the U.S. for a play called Huck & Holden in 2006. In this play, he acted as an Indian exchange student.

In 2006, Nayyar also helped write a play called Cotton Candy. It was first performed in New Delhi and received good reviews.

Breakthrough Role in The Big Bang Theory

Nayyar made a guest appearance on the CBS show NCIS in 2007. Later that year, his agent told him about a new TV show looking for a scientist. He auditioned and got the part in The Big Bang Theory.

From September 2007 to May 2019, Nayyar played astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali. This was his main role and made him very famous.

Other Notable Projects

In 2011, he co-hosted a comedy show called Tribute to Nerds with his Big Bang Theory co-star Simon Helberg.

Nayyar has also done voice acting for animated movies. He voiced Gupta in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012). He also voiced Guy Diamond in DreamWorks' Trolls (2016), Trolls World Tour (2020), and Trolls Band Together (2023).

In 2013, he helped produce a documentary called Beyond All Boundaries. It was about people who love cricket in India.

From 2015 to 2016, Nayyar performed in a play called The Spoils. He played Kalyan, a student from Nepal. In September 2015, he published a book about his journey as an actor. It was called Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You.

More recently, Nayyar played a character named Sandeep in the Netflix show Criminal: UK in 2020. He also joined the cast of the TV series Suspicion on Apple TV+ in 2020. In 2021, he was chosen to play the main role in the movie The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

In 2024, Nayyar appeared on an episode of Night Court. He reunited with his Big Bang Theory co-star, Melissa Rauch, on this show.

Personal Life

In December 2011, Kunal Nayyar married Neha Kapur. She is a model and was crowned Femina Miss India in 2006.

Kunal and Neha have supported students at the University of Portland. They have given scholarships for students studying performing and fine arts. They have also helped bring guest artists to the university.

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Director(s) Notes
2004 S.C.I.E.N.C.E Pizza Man Jordan Noce
2012 Ice Age: Continental Drift Gupta Steve Martino & Mike Thurmeier Voice
2013 Beyond All Boundaries Narrator
2014 The Scribbler Karim John Suits
Dr. Cabbie Tony Jean-François Pouliot
2015 Consumed Serge Negani Daryl Wein
2016 Trolls Guy Diamond Mike Mitchell Voice
2019 Sweetness in the Belly Dr. Robin Sathi Zeresenay Berhane Mehari
2020 Trolls World Tour Guy Diamond Walt Dohrn Voice
Think Like a Dog Mr. Mills Gil Junger
2022 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry A.J. Fikry Hans Canosa
2023 Trolls Band Together Guy Diamond Walt Dohrn Voice
2024 Spaceman Peter Johan Renck
2024 How to Date Billy Walsh Rupert Brown
TBA Christmas Karma Gurinder Chadha

Television

Year Series Role Notes
2007 NCIS Youssef Zidan Episode: "Suspicion"
2007–2019 The Big Bang Theory Raj Koothrappali Main role
2010 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Himself
2013–2016 Sanjay and Craig Vijay (voice) Main role
2013–2014 Sullivan & Son Sanjay/Neal 2 episodes
2015 The Late Late Show Host 25–27 February
The Mindy Project Sendhil Episode: "While I Was Sleeping"
2016 Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade Gupta (cameo/flashback) TV special
2017 Trolls Holiday Guy Diamond (voice) TV special
Drop the Mic Himself Episode: "Mayim Bialik vs. Kunal Nayyar / Ashley Tisdale vs. Nick Lachey"
2020 Criminal: UK Sandeep Singh Episode: "Sandeep"
2021 Trolls: Holiday in Harmony Guy Diamond (voice) TV special
2022 Suspicion Aadesh Chopra Main role
2024 Night Court Martini Toddwallis Season 2 Episode 7 "A Crime of Fashion"

Theatre Performances

Year Title Role Notes
2006 Huck and Holden Naveen Dahlia Theater, Los Angeles, United States
Love's Labour's Lost Other Parts Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford upon Avon, United Kingdom
Love's Labour's Lost Other Parts Shakespeare Theatre Company, Lansburgh Theatre, Washington, DC, United States
2015 The Spoils Kalyan The New Group at The Pershing Square Signature Center, New York, United States
2016 The Spoils Kalyan Trafalgar Studios, London

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Title Result
2006 Garland Awards Best Male Lead in a Play on the West Coast Huck and Holden Won
2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series The Big Bang Theory Nominated
2012 Nominated
2013 Nominated
2014 Nominated
2015 Nominated
2016 Nominated
2017 Nominated
2021 British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actor Criminal: UK Nominated

See also

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