Kunal Nayyar

Biography

Kunal Nayyar is a British-Indian actor, writer, and producer, best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on the hit American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He was born on April 30, 1981, in London, England, and raised in New Delhi, India.

Nayyar attended St. Columba’s School in New Delhi, where he developed an early interest in acting and performing arts. In 1999, he moved to the United States to study Business Administration at the University of Portland in Oregon. While in college, his passion for theatre grew, leading him to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Acting at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Career

Kunal Nayyar began his acting career in the early 2000s, performing in various theatre productions and voice-over roles. His breakout came in 2007 when he was cast as Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali, a shy astrophysicist, in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. 

The show became a global phenomenon, running for 12 seasons and earning Nayyar several Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. His portrayal of Raj — known for his humor, charm, and social awkwardness — made him one of television’s most beloved sitcom characters.

Beyond The Big Bang Theory, Nayyar has showcased his versatility across different genres. He voiced Gupta, the Indian sea otter, in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and later lent his voice to Guy Diamond, a glittery troll in DreamWorks’ Trolls (2016) and its sequels.

He also took on dramatic and darker roles in projects such as Criminal: UK (2020) on Netflix and the Apple TV+ thriller Suspicion (2022), where he portrayed a more complex and intense character — demonstrating his range beyond comedy.

Other Works and Writing

In 2015, Nayyar published his memoir Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You, a collection of humorous and heartfelt essays about his journey from India to Hollywood. The book received positive reviews for its honesty and wit.

Personal Life

Kunal Nayyar married Neha Kapur, a former Miss India (2006) and model, in 2011. The couple resides between London and Los Angeles.