For the 12 seasons that it lasted, The Big Bang Theory introduced fans to a plethora of characters. However, the main five ― Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Penny, Howard Wolowitz, and Raj Koothrappali ―had us glued to our seats. Of the main characters, the dewy-eyed Raj probably warmed hearts the most thanks to his romantically naive nature. His inability to talk around women except when drunk and his hilarious yet awkward relationship with Howard were some of the many things that fans loved about him.
Raj was played by the exceptional actor, Kunal Nayyar. Kunal decided to take up acting after participating in a few plays during his university days. He got his first break in a guest appearance on NCIS, but TBBT established him as a household name. He played the character of Raj for 12 years and undoubtedly excelled at it until the sitcom ended in 2019. Since saying goodbye to The Big Bang Theory, fans have wondered what Kunal's life has been like.
Updated on April 21, 2022: Kunal Nayyar's first big TV project since The Big Bang Theory, a thrilled called Suspicion for Apple TV+, was released in 2022 to mixed reviews. Fans of Nayyar who are itching to see him in another project will have to wait until Spaceman comes out, which is his next big project.
Spaceman, which is produced by Channing Tatum and stars Adam Sandler, Paul Dano, and Carey Mulligan alongside Nayyar, does not yet have a release date. It will be distributed by Netflix. Another project Nayyar is working on, called The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, is currently in the production stage. Nayyar will star in this film alongside Lucy Hale and Christina Hendricks.
10 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Traveling The World
After The Big Bang Theory ended in May 2019, Kunal took a break from the busy world of being a celebrity to spend some time with himself and enjoy the wonders of the world. A month after the season finale, he announced that he was taking a break from social media to travel around the world on a trip he tagged Summer of Kunal. The actor shared the big news from the South of France. The hiatus lasted for almost four months.
9 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Making A Return To His Roots
Before The Big Bang Theory came to an end, Kunal already had plans about how he would spend the days and months after the show. During an interview with Parade, he revealed that he had no intention to get himself involved in another project quickly. Instead, he wanted to return home. He explained:
"I'm going to go to India, spend more time with my parents. I left my country when I was 18, so it's important for me to go home and spend time with mom and dad, so that's the main focus right now."
8 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Working On Voice Over Projects And Films
After the much-needed long break, Kunal returned to work and had his first post-TBBT project in the 2019 film, Sweetness in the Belly. The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by renowned author Camilla Gibb. Kunal played the role of Dr. Robin Sathi, a kind doctor who falls in love with a refugee woman. He also bagged a voice-over role in Trolls World Tour and starred in the 2020 comedy Think Like A Dog.
7 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Making A Comeback To Television
Although Kunal dabbled into movies and other projects, he soon returned to his first love — television. His first comeback was as a guest star on the final episode of season 2 of Netflix UK's Criminal UK. Kunal starred as Sandeep, a convicted serial killer. However, Kunal's next big TV project was the Apple TV+ series, Suspicion. He stars alongside veteran actress Uma Thruman in the thriller series.
6 Kunal Nayyar Received An Award Nomination
During his time as Raj Koothrappali, Kunal was privileged to be nominated for five Screen Actors Guild Awards alongside his co-stars, and in total, nine awards. Even after TBBT, Kunal continues in his nomination streak. For his spectacular guest role in Criminal UK, Kunal was nominated for the award of Best Supporting Actor at the 2021 BAFTA TV awards. Unfortunately, he lost to contender Malachi Kirby. Kunal received an outpouring of love from his co-star Kaley Cuoco who congratulated him on the achievement.
5 Kunal Nayyar Is Nothing Like Raj
Since saying goodbye to The Big Bang Theory, Kunal has been involved in projects that have nothing in common with his most-known character, Dr. Raj Koothrappali. However, that is no coincidence. The actor is deliberate about showing his range as an actor and shedding off any iota of Raj in his future roles. He posted a rare picture attesting to this fact, writing "Raj no more." Kunal elaborated on his decision to be more than Raj during an interview with Metro, saying:
"There was definitely [a deliberate decision]. It was not like, "oh, I'm only going to do this kind of work," but it came at the right time. It was definitely what I wanted to do. Also, physically, I'm so recognizable from my voice, I'm so recognizable from my face… it was important to do something that completely breaks the barrier."
4 Kunal Nayyar Has An Unrecognizable Look
In his bid to shed off Raj's character, Kunal has undergone a drastic transformation with his looks. As seen in several photos shared on his Instagram page, Kunal officially became a member of the beard gang. The TBBT star looks unrecognizable with full facial hair, including a mustache and a more dramatic hairstyle. Many fans have been taken aback by his new look, but we can't say we don't exactly love it!
3 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Making Real Estate Money Moves
Behind the scenes, Kunal keeps busy, moving things around in the real estate scene. Before saying goodbye to TBBT, the actor and his wife lived in a luxurious 5,000-square-foot jungle home in Los Angeles featured in Architectural Digest. The couple at the time of purchase said they had no plans to sell the property. However, a year after the sitcom ended, the home was listed for $3.9 million. It only lasted 11 days before it was sold. Months after the show's finale, Kunal added one more luxurious property to his collection when he purchased Nicolas Cage's former house for $7.5 million. The 7,070-square-foot Tudor-style main home features a guest house, gym, and studio.
2 Kunal Nayyar Has A Blissful Married Life
Although Kunal doesn't share much on his love life on social media, the actor is happily married to Neha Kapur, a former Miss India winner, and a fashion designer. The duo met in 2009, and Neha recalled that she didn't recognize Kunal from TBBT as she hadn't watched the show. Kunal also went undercover wearing incognito outfits. Within three weeks of meeting, the pair knew they were meant for each other. After three years of dating, Kunal and Neha tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in New Delhi. The six-day celebration catered to over 1,00 guests and followed Indian traditions.
1 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Battling Anxiety
Celebrities are often viewed as superheroes, but Kunal never fails to remind the world that he is only human. During a sit-down with his TBBT co-star Mayim Bialik for her podcast, Kunal opened up about his mental health. He shared his experience with panic attacks, recalling that once he had one at 30 years old when driving on a highway. The actor encouraged fans that there is no shame in feeling panicked about things.