Kunal Nayyar
Encyclopedia
Kunal Nayyar (ˈkuːnɑːl ˈnɛər; born April 30, 1981) is an India
n actor born in London
, England
, and raised in New Delhi
, India
. He is known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali
on the CBS
sitcom The Big Bang Theory
.
family and moved to India when he was just four years old. He attended St Columba's School in New Delhi
, India, where he played badminton for the school team. In 1999 he moved to the US to earn a BS in Business (BSS) from the University of Portland
. While he was working on his degree he started taking acting classes, appearing in several school plays. After he participated in the American College Theater Festival
and won its Mark Twain Prize for Comic Brilliance, he resolved to become a professional actor. He then attended Temple University
, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA).
's 2006 play Huck & Holden where he portrayed an Indian exchange student anxious to experience American culture before returning home. In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the play Cotton Candy, which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews. Nayyar then guest-starred in the CBS
drama NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service)
in the episode "Suspicion" (Season 4, Episode 12), in which he played Youssef Zidan, an Iraqi terrorist. 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
. Nayyar plays astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali
on the TV show which is in its fifth season.
He appeared on The Bonnie Hunt Show
on April 22, 2009, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
on May 8 and April 9, 2010, Lopez Tonight
on November 25, 2010, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 22, 2011.
In 2011 he co-hosted the "Tribute to Nerds" show with co-star Simon Helberg
at Just For Laughs
comedy festival.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actor born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and raised in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali
Rajesh Koothrappali
Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Kunal Nayyar....
on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
.
Education
Nayyar was born in London to a PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
family and moved to India when he was just four years old. He attended St Columba's School in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India, where he played badminton for the school team. In 1999 he moved to the US to earn a BS in Business (BSS) from the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
. While he was working on his degree he started taking acting classes, appearing in several school plays. After he participated in the American College Theater Festival
Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theatre program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theatre in the United States...
and won its Mark Twain Prize for Comic Brilliance, he resolved to become a professional actor. He then attended Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA).
Career
After graduating from Temple University, Nayyar found work doing American television ads and plays on the London stage. He first gained attention in the US for his role in the West Coast production of Rajiv JosephRajiv Joseph
Rajiv Joseph is an American playwright and a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist who occasionally has been confused with a substandard dentist of similar name....
's 2006 play Huck & Holden where he portrayed an Indian exchange student anxious to experience American culture before returning home. In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the play Cotton Candy, which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews. Nayyar then guest-starred in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service)
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
in the episode "Suspicion" (Season 4, Episode 12), in which he played Youssef Zidan, an Iraqi terrorist. 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
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
. Nayyar plays astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali
Rajesh Koothrappali
Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Kunal Nayyar....
on the TV show which is in its fifth season.
He appeared on The Bonnie Hunt Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted by Bonnie Hunt. It premiered on September 8, 2008. It is the second show featuring Bonnie Hunt to have that title. The first was a sitcom that ran for one season in 1995 and was retitled Bonnie when it returned after a mid-season hiatus...
on April 22, 2009, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
on May 8 and April 9, 2010, Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
on November 25, 2010, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 22, 2011.
In 2011 he co-hosted the "Tribute to Nerds" show with co-star Simon Helberg
Simon Helberg
Simon Maxwell Helberg is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. In its fourth season, he also appeared on the sketch comedy series MADtv for five episodes...
at Just For Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
comedy festival.
Film
| Year | Film | Character | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | S.C.I.E.N.C.E | Pizza Man | |
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift Ice Age: Continental Drift Ice Age: Continental Drift, also known as Ice Age 4, is an upcoming American 3-D computer-animated film directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier, starring the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, with Chris Wedge and Jeremy Renner.It... |
TBA | In post-production |
| 2009 | Bruno | Himself(Cameo) |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service | Youssef Zidan | Uncredited Episode: "Suspicion" |
| 2007–present | The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers... |
Rajesh Koothrappali Rajesh Koothrappali Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Kunal Nayyar.... |
Lead role |