Kunal Nayyar
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| Kunal Nayyar | |
|---|---|
 Nayyar at the 2009 Comic-Con International |
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| Born | April 30, 1981 London, England, UK |
| Occupation | Actor, writer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | Neha Kapur |
Kunal Nayyar (English pronunciation: /ˈkuːnɑːl ˈnɛər/; born April 30, 1981) is a London-born Indian actor. He was raised in New Delhi. He is best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
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[edit] Personal life
Nayyar was born in London to a Punjabi family[1] and moved to India when he was four years old.[2]
[edit] Education
He attended St Columba's School in New Delhi, India, where he played badminton for the school team.[3][4] In 1999 he moved to the US to earn a BS in Business (BSS) from the University of Portland.[5] 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).[6]
[edit] Career
After graduating, Nayyar found work doing American television ads and plays on the London stage.[7] 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.[6] In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the play Cotton Candy, which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews.[8] Nayyar made a guest appearance on 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. 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.[1] Nayyar plays astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali on the TV show.
In 2011 he co-hosted the "Tribute to Nerds" show with co-star Simon Helberg at Just For Laughs comedy festival.[9]
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Film
| Year | Film | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | S.C.I.E.N.C.E | Pizza Man | |
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Gupta | In post-production |
[edit] Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service | Youssef Zidan | Uncredited Episode: "Suspicion" |
| 2007–present | The Big Bang Theory | Rajesh Koothrappali | Lead role |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Banerjee, Sudeshna (July 7, 2008). "Mr Big Bang". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080707/jsp/entertainment/story_9512204.jsp. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Shah, Amar (March 23, 2011). "'Big Bang' star loves cricket's World Cup". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=6130411. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Kapoor, Kritika (June 25, 2010). "I’d rather do social movies: Kunal Nayyar". Daily News and Analysis. http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_i-d-rather-do-social-movies-kunal-nayyar_1400993. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Ahmed, Sana (June 28, 2008). "Going places". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/28/stories/2008062850570400.htm. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Alumni | Drama | University of Portland. College.up.edu. Retrieved on 2011-07-05.
- ^ a b "Making it as a nerd". Rediff. November 19, 2007. http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2007/nov/19look.htm. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Sahgal, Natasha (September 16, 2009). "Geek God". Indian Express. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/geek-god/517505/1. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Chander, Romesh (June 16, 2006). "Staging the fluff of dreams". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/06/16/stories/2006061601800300.htm. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Wyatt, Nelson (July 26, 2011). "'Big Bang Theory' stars say most people can relate to being nerds". Winnipeg Free Press. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/TV/126179733.html. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
