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 30 April 1981) is an actor best known for playing the hilarious and lovable character Raj Koothrappali on the popular TV show The Big Bang Theory. For twelve years, he was a main star of the hit comedy.

He has also been the voice of Vijay in the animated show Sanjay and Craig and Guy Diamond in the Trolls movies. Because of his success, he became one of the highest-paid TV actors in the world. There is even an asteroid named after him, called 8627 Kunalnayyar!

Early Life and Education

Kunal Nayyar was born in London, England, to parents from India. When he was three years old, his family moved back to India, and he grew up in the city of New Delhi. As a kid, he went to St. Columba's School and was on the school's badminton team.

In 1999, Nayyar moved to the United States for college. He studied business and finance at the University of Portland in Oregon. While he was studying for his business degree, he also started taking acting classes and performing in school plays. He discovered he had a passion for acting.

After taking part in a big theater festival, Nayyar decided he wanted to be a professional actor. He went on to study at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting. This special degree helped him train for his future career on stage and screen.

Acting Career

Nayyar on a tour of The Big Bang Theory in 2008

After finishing his studies, Nayyar started his career by acting in TV commercials and plays. His big break came in 2007 when he was cast in the TV show The Big Bang Theory.

The Big Bang Theory

For 12 seasons, from 2007 to 2019, Nayyar played Dr. Rajesh "Raj" Koothrappali, a smart astrophysicist who worked at a university. His character was known for being shy around women at first, but he was a funny and loyal friend. The show became a huge success all over the world, and it made Nayyar a famous star.

Voice Acting and Movies

Besides his famous TV role, Nayyar is also a talented voice actor. He voiced a badger named Gupta in the movie Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012). He is also the voice of the sparkly Guy Diamond in the DreamWorks movie series Trolls.

He has also appeared in other movies, including Dr. Cabbie (2014) and Spaceman (2024). In 2015, he wrote a book about his life and career called Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You.

Recent Work

After The Big Bang Theory ended, Nayyar took on different kinds of roles. In 2020, he played a serious character in the Netflix show Criminal: UK. His performance was so good that he was nominated for a BAFTA award.

He also starred in the thriller series Suspicion on Apple TV+. In 2024, he made a guest appearance on the show Night Court, where he acted alongside his former Big Bang Theory co-star, Melissa Rauch.

Personal Life

In 2011, Nayyar married Neha Kapur, a model who won the Femina Miss India title in 2006. Together, they have supported students at the University of Portland, Nayyar's former university. They have provided scholarships for students studying art and have helped pay for guest artists to visit the school.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Kunal Nayyar's most well-known roles.

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Kunal Nayyar para niños