Kunal Nayyar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kunal Nayyar
Nayyar in 2024
Born	(1981-04-30) 30 April 1981 (age 44) London, England
Education	St. Columba's School
Alma mater	University of Portland (BBA) Temple University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2004–present
Spouse(s)	Neha Kapur ​ (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

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

Television

Theatre Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kunal Nayyar para niños