Kunal Nayyar: Difference between revisions

{{short description|British-Indian actor}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2016}}

| name           = Kunal Nayyar

| image         = Kunal Nayyar by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| caption       = Nayyar at the 2017 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]

| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|4|30}}

| birth_place   = [[Hounslow]], [[London]], England

| nationality   = [[British people|British]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

| alma_mater     = {{Plainlist|

| occupation     = Actor

| years_active   = 2004–present

| spouse         = {{marriage|[[Neha Kapur]]|2011}}

'''Kunal Nayyar''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ʊ|ˈ|n|ɑː|l|_|ˈ|n|aɪ|.|ər|}}, {{respell|kuu|NAHL|_|NY|ər}}; born 30 April 1981) is a British-Indian actor. He portrayed [[Raj Koothrappali]] on the CBS sitcom ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' (2007–2019), and voiced Vijay on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom ''[[Sanjay and Craig]]'' (2013–2016). Nayyar also appeared in the films ''[[Ice Age: Continental Drift]]'' (2012), ''[[The Scribbler (film)|The Scribbler]]'' (2014), ''[[Dr. Cabbie]]'' (2014), ''[[Consumed (film)|Consumed]]'' (2015), ''[[Trolls (film)|Trolls]]'' (2016), and ''[[Sweetness in the Belly]]'' (2019). ''[[Forbes]]'' listed Nayyar as the world's third-highest-paid television actor in 2015 and 2018, with earnings of US$20&nbsp;million and US$23.5 million, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www3.forbes.com/business/the-worlds-highest-paid-tv-actors-2015/12/|title=The World's Highest-Paid TV Actors|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=3 February 2020|first=Maggie|last=McGarth}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2018/10/24/highest-paid-tv-actors-2018-jim-parsons-leads-with-26-5-million/|title=Highest-Paid TV Actors 2018|work=Forbes |access-date=March 21, 2019|first=Natalie|last=Robehmed }}</ref>

Nayyar was born in [[Hounslow]], [[West London]] to a family of [[Indian People|Indian]] immigrants. When he was 4 years old, his family returned to India, and he grew up in [[New Delhi]].<ref name= accent/> He attended [[St. Columba's School, Delhi|St. Columba's School]], where he played [[badminton]] for the school team.<ref>{{Cite web|title=25 Fun Facts About Kunal Nayyar {{!}} The Big Bang Theory|url=https://www.thefactsite.com/kunal-nayyar-facts/|date=2012-03-08|website=The Fact Site|language=en-us|access-date=2020-05-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/television/salman-khan-has-done-such-amazing-things-for-our-industry-kunal-nayyar/article1-1134835.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518125610/http://www.hindustantimes.com/television/salman-khan-has-done-such-amazing-things-for-our-industry-kunal-nayyar/article1-1134835.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 May 2015 |first=Prashant |last=Singh |title=Salman Khan has done such amazing things for our industry: Kunal Nayyar |work=Hindustan Times |date=14 October 2013 |access-date=5 January 2021 }}</ref> His parents live in New Delhi.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kapoor|first=Kritika|title=I'd rather do social movies: Kunal Nayyar|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_i-d-rather-do-social-movies-kunal-nayyar_1400993|access-date=21 October 2011|newspaper=Daily News and Analysis|date=25 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ahmed|first=Sana|title=Going places|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/28/stories/2008062850570400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005020234/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/28/stories/2008062850570400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 October 2013|access-date=21 October 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=28 June 2008}}</ref>

In 1999, Nayyar moved to the United States to pursue a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] in finance from the [[University of Portland]], Oregon.<ref>[http://www.backstage.com/news/successful-actors-talk-about-their-training Successful Actors Talk About Their Training]. backstage.com. Retrieved on 2012-11-17.</ref> He started taking acting classes and appeared in several school plays while working on his degree.<ref name= accent>{{cite book |title= Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven't Told You |first= Kunal |last= Nayyar |date= 2015 |publisher= Atria Books |isbn= 978-1476761824 }}</ref>

After participating in the [[Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival|American College Theater Festival]], Nayyar decided to become an actor. He then attended [[Temple University]] in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, where he received a [[Master of Fine Arts]] in acting.<ref name=rediff>{{cite news|url=http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2007/nov/19look.htm|title=Making it as a nerd|access-date=21 October 2011|newspaper=Rediff|date=19 November 2007}}</ref>

After graduating, Nayyar found work doing American television ads and plays on the London stage.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sahgal|first=Natasha|title=Geek God|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/geek-god/517505/1|access-date=21 October 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=16 September 2009}}</ref> He first gained attention in the US for his role in the West Coast production of [[Rajiv Joseph]]'s 2006 play ''Huck & Holden'', where he portrayed an Indian exchange student anxious to experience American culture before returning home.<ref name=rediff/> In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the play ''Cotton Candy'', which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chander|first=Romesh|title=Staging the fluff of dreams|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/06/16/stories/2006061601800300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417090654/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/06/16/stories/2006061601800300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2011|access-date=21 October 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=16 June 2006}}</ref>

Nayyar made a guest appearance on the [[CBS]] drama ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'' in the season four episode "[[NCIS (season 4)#Episodes|Suspicion]]", in which he played Youssef Zidan, an Iraqi terrorist.<ref>{{cite web |first=Aubry |last=D'Arminio |title=7 NCIS Guests Who Went on to Become Stars (PHOTOS) |date=29 March 2016 |url=http://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/76497/ncis-guest-stars-before-fame-photos/#2 |publisher=tvinsider.com |access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref>

Nayyar's agent heard about a role for a scientist in an upcoming CBS pilot and encouraged him to audition for the part. This led to his casting in the sitcom ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', where he played the role of an [[Astrophysics|astrophysicist]] [[Raj Koothrappali]].<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|last=Banerjee|first=Sudeshna|title=Mr Big Bang|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080707/jsp/entertainment/story_9512204.jsp|access-date=21 October 2011|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=7 July 2008}}</ref>

Nayyar voiced Gupta in ''[[Ice Age: Continental Drift]]'' in 2012. During the same year he completed the shooting of his first film, ''[[Dr. Cabbie]]'', produced by Bollywood actor [[Salman Khan]].<ref>{{IMDb title|2831404|Dr. Cabbie}}</ref>

From 5 May to 29 June 2015, Nayyar performed in an off-Broadway production, ''The Spoils'', written by and starring actor [[Jesse Eisenberg]]. Nayyar played Kalyan, a Nepalese student and roommate of the protagonist Ben, played by Eisenberg.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/theater/review-the-spoils-stars-jesse-eisenberg-as-narcissist.html?_r=0|last=Brantley|first=Ben|title='Review: 'The Spoils' Stars Jesse Eisenberg as Narcissist|access-date=16 June 2015|newspaper=New York Times|date=2 June 2015}}</ref> The production transferred to London's West End in 2016.

He voiced Guy Diamond in [[DreamWorks Animation|DreamWorks]]' animated movie ''[[Trolls (film)|Trolls]]'', released in November 2016.

In 2020, Nayyar played a convicted serial killer named Sandeep on the Netflix UK production, ''[[Criminal: UK]]''. He appeared in the final episode of Season 2, which was released in August 2020.

| Dr. Robin Sathi

| 2021

| ''[[Spaceman (upcoming film)|Spaceman]]''

| Season 4, Episode 12 "Suspicion" (uncredited)

| Navin

{{reflist|30em}}