Kunal Nayyar British-Indian actor Date of Birth: 30.04.1981 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Kunal Nayyar

Kunal Nayyar is a British-Indian actor, best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali in the comedy series "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS. He was born in London, England and grew up in New Delhi, India. Nayyar completed his schooling in New Delhi, where he also played badminton for the school team. He then moved to the United States to pursue higher education.

Nayyar earned a bachelor's degree in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Portland in Oregon. During his time there, he started taking acting lessons and even performed in several university productions. After participating in the American College Theater Festival, Nayyar decided to pursue a career in acting. He went on to earn a master's degree in acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After completing his master's degree, Nayyar appeared in American commercials and performed in London theaters. In 2006, he had his breakthrough role in the play "Huck & Holden," portraying an Indian student studying abroad who wants to immerse himself in American culture before returning home. His performance in the play earned him a nomination for the Garland Award for Best Male Lead in a Play on the West Coast, which he won.

In 2006, Nayyar co-wrote the play "Cotton Candy" with Arun Das. The play received positive reviews after its premiere in New Delhi. In 2007, Nayyar played an Iraqi terrorist in an episode of the CBS show "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service." Shortly after, he learned about an audition for a role as a physicist in a new comedy series on CBS. Nayyar successfully auditioned for the role of Rajesh Koothrappali in "The Big Bang Theory" and continues to portray the character to this day.

"The Big Bang Theory" brought Nayyar considerable fame and led to numerous invitations to popular talk shows. He appeared on "The Bonnie Hunt Show" in April 2009, "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" in April and May 2010, "Lopez Tonight" in November 2010, and Jimmy Kimmel's show in April 2011. In 2011, Nayyar and his co-star Simon Helberg hosted the "Tribute to Nerds" show as part of the "Just for Laughs" comedy festival.

In December 2011, Nayyar married Neha Kapur, an Indian model and winner of the Miss India 2006 pageant. In 2012, he lent his voice to a character in the animated film "Ice Age: Continental Drift." The same year, Nayyar embarked on his first film project, "Dr. Cabbie," in which he worked with Isabelle Kaif, sister of the renowned Indian actress Katrina Kaif. The movie was filmed in Toronto, Canada.

In 2012, Nayyar and the entire cast of "The Big Bang Theory" were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, but the award ultimately went to the TV series "Modern Family."