Kunal Nayyar(/kʊˈnɑːlˈnaɪ.ər/,[1]kuu-NAHLNY-ər;born 30 April 1981) is a British actor raised in India and based in the United States.[2]He gained recognition with his portrayal of the Indian characterRaj Koothrappalion theCBSsitcomThe Big Bang Theory(2007–2019) and voiced Vijay on theNickelodeonanimated sitcomSanjay and Craig(2013–2016). He was nominated forBest Supporting Actorat the 2021British Academy Television Awardsfor his role inCriminal: UK.
Kunal Nayyar | |
|---|---|
 Nayyar in 2024 | |
| Born | 30 April 1981 |
| Education | St. Columba's School |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | |
Forbeslisted him as the world's third-highest-paid television actor in 2015 and 2018, with earnings of US$20 million and US$23.5 million, respectively.[3][4]His current net worth is estimated to be $45 million.[5]
The asteroid8627 Kunalnayyaris named after him.[6]
Early life
editNayyar was born on 30 April, 1981 in theHammersmithdistrict ofWest London,to Indian immigrants.[7][8]When he was three years old, his family returned to India and he grew up inNew Delhi,where his parents live.[9][10][11]He attendedSt. Columba's SchoolinGole Market,where he playedbadmintonfor the school team.[12][13]
In 1999, Nayyar moved to the United States to pursue aBachelor of Business AdministrationinFinanceat theUniversity of PortlandinOregon.[14]He started taking acting classes and appeared in several school plays while working on his degree.[11]
After participating in theAmerican College Theater Festivalat theKennedy CenterinWashington, D.C.,Nayyar decided to become an actor. He then attendedTemple UniversityinPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,where he received hisMaster of Fine Artsdegree inActing.[15]
Career
edit
After graduating, Nayyar found work doing American television ads and plays on the London stage.[16]He first gained attention in the US for his role in the West Coast production ofRajiv Joseph's 2006 playHuck & Holden,where he portrayed an Indian exchange student anxious to experience American culture before returning home.[15]In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the playCotton Candy,which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews.[17]
Nayyar made a guest appearance on theCBSdramaNCISin the season four episode "Suspicion",in which he played Youssef Zidan, anIraqiterrorist.[18]
In 2007, 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 sitcomThe Big Bang Theory,where he played the role ofastrophysicistRaj Koothrappalifrom its premiere in September 2007 to the show's conclusion in May 2019.[19]
In 2011, he co-hosted theTribute to Nerdsshow with co-starSimon Helbergat the comedy festivalJust for Laughs.[20]
Nayyar voiced Gupta inIce Age: Continental Driftin 2012. During the same year, he completed the shooting of the film,Dr. Cabbie,produced by Bollywood actorSalman Khan.
In 2013, he produced a documentary calledBeyond All Boundaries,which focuses on three individuals and their love for cricket in India: Sudhir bikes across the country to support his team; Prithvi is a young cricket prodigy; and Akshaya is a female cricketer from the Mumbai slums.[21]
From 5 May to 29 June 2015, Nayyar performed in an off-Broadway production,The Spoils,written by and starring actorJesse Eisenberg.Nayyar played Kalyan, aNepalesestudent and roommate of the protagonist Ben, played by Eisenberg.[22]The production transferred to London's West End in 2016.
Nayyar published a book about his career journey, titledYes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You,in September 2015.[11]
He voiced another animated movie character named Guy Diamond inDreamWorks'Trolls,released in November 2016.
In 2020, Nayyar played a convicted serial killer named Sandeep on the Netflix UK productionCriminal: UK.He appeared in the final episode of Season 2, which was released in August 2020. In the same year, he joined the cast of the thriller TV seriesSuspiciononApple TV+,based on the Israeli thriller TV seriesFalse Flag,alongsideUma Thurman,Elizabeth HenstridgeandElyes Gabel.[23]
In 2021, he was announced as having been picked to play the title role of A. J. Fikry in the upcoming comedy-dramaThe Storied Life of A.J. Fikry,alongsideLucy HaleandChristina Hendricks,an adaptation of the best-selling novel byGabrielle Zevin.[24]
In 2024, Nayyar reunited withBig Bang Theorycostar, Melissa Rauch, making a guest appearance on an episode ofNight Court.[25]Night Courtis a revival of the'80s NBC sitcom of the same name.[25]
Personal life
editIn December 2011, Nayyar marriedNeha Kapur,a model andFemina Miss India2006.[26]According to the University of Portland, Nayyar and his wife have given scholarships for University of Portland students in Performing & Fine Arts and paid for guest artists at the university.[27]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| 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[28] |
| 2024 | Spaceman | Peter | Johan Renck | |
| 2024 | How to Date Billy Walsh | Rupert Brown | ||
| TBA | Christmas Karma | Gurinder Chadha |
Television
edit| 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 | Episode: "Ladies Night", "Sexual Healing" |
| 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 Bialikvs. Kunal Nayyar /Ashley Tisdalevs.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
edit| 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
edit| 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 |
References
edit- ^The Late Show with Stephen Colbert(17 May 2019)."'The Big Bang Theory' Cast Together For One Final Time ".Event occurs at 0:32.Retrieved22 January2024– via YouTube.
- ^Wolf, Matt (19 June 2016)."Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar on Becoming Buddies with Co-Star Jesse Eisenberg in London's The Spoils".Broadway Buzz.Retrieved22 December2023.
- ^McGarth, Maggie."The World's Highest-Paid TV Actors".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on 19 March 2018.Retrieved3 February2020.
- ^Robehmed, Natalie."Highest-Paid TV Actors 2018".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on 2 August 2020.Retrieved21 March2019.
- ^"Kunal Nayyar - Latest News, Updates, Photos and Videos".Yahoo.Archivedfrom the original on 7 February 2024.Retrieved7 February2024.
- ^"IAU Minor Planet Center".minorplanetcenter.net.Retrieved11 October2024.
- ^"Index entry".FreeBMD.ONS.Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2022.Retrieved18 January2022.
- ^Mike Rose, cleveland com (30 April 2024)."Famous birthdays list for today, April 30, 2024 includes celebrities Kirsten Dunst, Ana de Armas".cleveland.Retrieved1 June2024.
- ^Kapoor, Kritika (25 June 2010)."I'd rather do social movies: Kunal Nayyar".Daily News and Analysis.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2012.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^Ahmed, Sana (28 June 2008)."Going places".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 5 October 2013.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^abcNayyar, Kunal (2015).Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven't Told You.Atria Books.ISBN978-1476761824.
- ^"25 Fun Facts About Kunal Nayyar | The Big Bang Theory".The Fact Site.8 March 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2020.Retrieved19 May2020.
- ^Singh, Prashant (14 October 2013)."Salman Khan has done such amazing things for our industry: Kunal Nayyar".Hindustan Times.Archived fromthe originalon 18 May 2015.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^Successful Actors Talk About Their TrainingArchived11 November 2012 at theWayback Machine.backstage. Retrieved on 17 November 2012.
- ^ab"Making it as a nerd".Rediff.19 November 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 21 June 2012.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^Sahgal, Natasha (16 September 2009)."Geek God".Indian Express.Archivedfrom the original on 2 March 2022.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^Chander, Romesh (16 June 2006)."Staging the fluff of dreams".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 17 April 2011.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^D'Arminio, Aubry (29 March 2016)."7 NCIS Guests Who Went on to Become Stars (PHOTOS)".tvinsider.Archivedfrom the original on 2 May 2016.Retrieved5 May2016.
- ^Banerjee, Sudeshna (7 July 2008)."Mr Big Bang".The Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 29 May 2012.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^Wyatt, Nelson (26 July 2011)."'Big Bang Theory' stars say most people can relate to being nerds ".Winnipeg Free Press.Archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2011.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^"Kunal Nayyar".alumni.temple.edu.Retrieved7 February2024.
- ^Brantley, Ben (2 June 2015)."'Review: 'The Spoils' Stars Jesse Eisenberg as Narcissist ".New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 5 December 2017.Retrieved16 June2015.
- ^White, Peter (11 March 2020)."Uma Thurman To Headline Apple Drama Series 'Suspicion', Based On Israeli Thriller 'False Flag'".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on 12 March 2020.Retrieved1 September2021.
- ^Diana Lodderhose (16 June 2021)."Kunal Nayyar, Lucy Hale & Christina Hendricks To Star In 'The Storied Life Of A. J. Fikry', Mister Smith Launching Sales – Cannes Market".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on 1 September 2021.Retrieved1 September2021.
- ^ab"Everything to Know About Actor Kunal Nayyar".NBC Insider Official Site.6 February 2024.Retrieved7 February2024.
- ^"The Talk, CBS".YouTube.Archived fromthe originalon 22 October 2013.Retrieved3 March2012.
- ^"Kunal Nayyar | University of Portland".up.edu.Retrieved7 February2024.
- ^"Trolls Band Together".Universal Pictures.Retrieved23 August2023.
External links
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