Kunal Nayyar (pron.: /kʊˌnɑːl ˈnaɪər/; born April 30, 1981) is a Hindu British Indian actor best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory and Gupta in Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Early life [edit]
Nayyar was born in London, England, and raised in New Delhi, India. He attended St Columba's School in New Delhi, where he played badminton for the school team.[1][2] In 1999 he moved to the US to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business (Finance) from the University of Portland.[3] Working on his degree, he started taking acting classes and appeared in several school plays. After participating in the American College Theater Festival, he decided to become a professional actor. He then attended Temple University, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting.[4]
Career [edit]
After graduating, Nayyar found work doing American television ads and plays on the London stage.[5] 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.[4] In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the play Cotton Candy, which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews.[6] Nayyar made a guest appearance in the CBS drama NCIS in the episode "Suspicion" (season 4, episode 12), in which he played Youssef Zidan, an Iraqi terrorist. His 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,[7] on which he plays astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali.
In 2011 he co-hosted the Tribute to Nerds show with co-star Simon Helberg at the Just for Laughs comedy festival.[8] As of 2012 , he is currently working on his first movie , Dr . Cabbie , in which he will be opposite to famous indian actress Katrina Kaif's sister , Isabell.He is shooting for Dr.Cabbie in Toronto , Canada.
Personal life [edit]
Nayyar married Miss India 2006 winner Neha Kapur in December 2011.[9]
Filmography [edit]
Television [edit]
Theater [edit]
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2006 |
Huck and Holden |
Navin |
Dahlia Theater, Los Angeles |
| 2006 |
Loves Labours Lost |
Other Parts |
Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford upon Avon, United Kingdom |
Web television [edit]
Awards [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Kapoor, Kritika (June 25, 2010). "I’d rather do social movies: Kunal Nayyar". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Ahmed, Sana (June 28, 2008). "Going places". The Hindu. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Successful Actors Talk About Their Training. backstage.com. Retrieved on 2012-11-17.
- ^ a b "Making it as a nerd". Rediff. November 19, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Sahgal, Natasha (September 16, 2009). "Geek God". Indian Express. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Chander, Romesh (June 16, 2006). "Staging the fluff of dreams". The Hindu. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Banerjee, Sudeshna (July 7, 2008). "Mr Big Bang". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Wyatt, Nelson (July 26, 2011). "'Big Bang Theory' stars say most people can relate to being nerds". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ "The Talk, CBS". Retrieved 3 March 2012.
External links [edit]
| Persondata |
| Name |
Nayyar, Kunal |
| Alternative names |
|
| Short description |
Actor |
| Date of birth |
April 30, 1981 |
| Place of birth |
London, England, UK |
| Date of death |
|
| Place of death |
|
