Kunal Nayyar (; born 30 April 1981) is an Indian-English actor known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
According to Forbes, Nayyar was third on the list of World's Highest-Paid TV Actors for 2015 with earnings of US$20 million after The Big Bang Theory.
Video Kunal Nayyar
Early life
Nayyar was born in Hounslow, London, to a Punjabi family and was brought up in New Delhi, India. He attended St Columba's School in New Delhi, where he played badminton for the school team. His parents live in New Delhi.
In 1999, Nayyar moved to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Portland, Oregon. Working on his degree, he started taking acting classes and appeared in several school plays.
After participating in the American College Theater Festival, Nayyar decided to become a professional actor. He then attended Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting.
Maps Kunal Nayyar
Career
After graduating, 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 Joseph'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 made a guest appearance on the CBS drama NCIS in the episode "Suspicion" (season four, 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, where he plays astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali.
In 2011, he co-hosted the Tribute to Nerds show with co-star Simon Helberg at the comedy festival Just for Laughs.
In 2012, Nayyar voiced Gupta in Ice Age: Continental Drift. That same year, he completed the shooting of his first film, Dr. Cabbie, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The film was produced by Bollywood actor Salman Khan.
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. The production transferred to London's West End in 2016.
In September 2015, Nayyar published a book about his career journey, Yes, My Accent is Real.
He then voiced Guy Diamond in DreamWorks' animated movie Trolls (2016).
Personal life
Nayyar married Miss India 2006 winner, Neha Kapur, in December 2011. They live in Los Angeles.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
Awards
References
External links
- Kunal Nayyar on IMDb
Source of article : Wikipedia
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