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Actor Kunal Nayyar was born in London and raised in India. He moved to the United States when he was 18 to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University Of Portland, Oregon. Nayyar started acting in school plays – this is what made him realize he wanted to pursue acting as a career. His first role was a guest appearance on the NCIS drama crime series. Kunal then went on to co-host The Tribute to Nerds show with his former co-host Simon Helberg before landing his big break on The Big Bang Theory.
Nayyar has spent twelve years playing Raj Koothrappali, an astrophysicist in the incredibly huge sitcom The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), until it wound up its final season in May 2019. Since then, he has been posting selfies across the world with deep and inspirational captions. Are you wondering what else he has been up to? Here are 15 lesser-known facts about Nayyar’s life after TBBT.
Updated on January 26, 2023: Recently, Kunal Nayyar has been working hard on upcoming projects. In 2022, he starred in the crime drama series Suspicion as well as the dramedy film The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Nayyar also has two projects currently in post-production that are set to release later this year, entitled Spaceman and How To Date Billy Walsh.
15 Kunal Nayyar Took A Break From Acting
After 12 years of working on TBBT, Nayyar decided to take a well-deserved break from acting as soon as the show wrapped its final season. Kunal revealed that he would not be rushing into a new job, but instead he planned to go back to India to spend time with his parents.
It has been about four years since the end of TBBT, and he did exactly that. Nayyar revealed he had not gone back to India since he came to the US in 1999.
Taking social media cleanses now and then can be good for your mental health. Following the end of the sitcom, Nayyar announced he would be taking a social media break while on holiday to unwind. He broke his social media silence four months later in honor of celebrating Diwali and has been back online since then.
13 Where Has Kunal Nayyar Been Traveling?
Nayyar deserved a long-overdue break after 12 years of TBBT. He took some time out to travel the world on a trip he dubbed, “The Summer of Kunal.” His last pic before his social media blackout was a photo of himself at the shores at the south of France. Kunal also traveled to London and India as well.
12 Kunal Nayyar Grew A Beard And Mustache
After his four-month social media break, Nayyar came back looking different thanks to his new beard and mustache, which is different from his classic character look on TBBT. For those who do not follow Nayyar on social media, you might pass through his photos without recognizing him. Kunal now rocks a full-on beard and sometimes includes a new mustache.
11 Kunal Nayyar Has Been Attending Interviews With Former Cast Members
Following the end of TBBT, Nayyar and his co-stars had attended interviews and press conferences to mark the end of their show. Big Bang ended after Jim Parsons decided it was time for him to pursue other things.
Jim played an annoying mega-genius, Sheldon Cooper, and the whole show was centered on his character. His departure would have been hard to work around.
10 What Is Kunal Nayyar’s Connection To Boba Fett?
Before you ask, Boba Fett is Kunal’s dog, named after his favorite Star Wars character. You can only understand the love he has for Boba when you scroll through his Instagram.
Now that he has more free time, Kunal has been spending a lot of time with his dog and capturing the moments on the ‘gram. He shared a video of Boba practicing social distancing to lighten his fans’ mood amid the pandemic.
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9 Kunal Nayyar Reprised An Animated Role
With the success of TBBT, the cast was on-demand for other new roles. However, Nayyar decided to take a break from acting, only completing projects he was currently working on. Back in 2016, he voiced Guy Diamond on the animation Trolls, and therefore had to reprise his role in the sequel Trolls World Tour, which released in 2020.
8 When Did Kunal Nayyar Get Back To The Grind?
After some time off from acting, Nayyar seems to be getting back at it. He worked on the film Sweetness in the Belly, which premiered in September 2019 at the Toronto International Film Festival as well as 7 other productions since coming back to Hollywood. Two of these projects are part of the Trolls franchise, in which he voiced Guy Diamond yet again.
7 Kunal Nayyar Is Keen On Skin And Facial Hair Care
Having a lot more free time can make you get in touch with a side of yourself that you’ve never expected. Who knew Nayyar would one day be into skincare? As seen on his Instagram, Nayyar has been taking care of his skin to the extent of even wearing eye masks. On a separate post, he even talks about what he uses to keep his new beard moisturized.
6 Kunal Nayyar Got In Touch With His Spiritual Side
Since the end of TBBT, Nayyar has been getting in touch with his spiritual side. After getting back on the internet, the actor has been making sure his checking in on his fans and sharing encouraging posts whenever he can. He also celebrated the Hindu festivals of Diwali, which helped him with his spirituality.
5 Kunal Nayyar Is Embracing His Heritage
Nayyar has always been proud of his Indian heritage, and since wrapping up TBBT, the star has shown a true side of himself by embracing his heritage.
He has been sharing photos of how he and his wife have integrated their Indian heritage around their house in LA, even though the two have different aesthetic preferences. He has also been attending events that are related to his culture.
4 Advising Fans On How To Deal With Mental Health
People around the world have been urged to self-isolate and maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic and while Nayyar did just that, he has also created a forum where fans can ask questions about mental health and how to cope with anxiety during the lockdown.
3 Kunal Nayyar Landed His First TV Series Role Post-Raj
Since the end of TBBT, Nayyar had not taken any new roles on TV for a year. In 2020, he was hired for one episode of the series Criminal: UK as well as four episodes of the animated show Mira, Royal Detective. Then in 2022, Kunal booked a recurring role on Suspicion in which he starred in eight episodes.
2 What Events And Interviews Has Kunal Nayyar Attended?
Nayyar has been attending events now that he has more free time on his hands. He has attended and spoke at the Oxford Union in the UK as well as been a regular guest at The Ellen Show, along with several other talk-show interviews. For his me-time, the actor has been playing golf and attending basketball games.
1 Kunal Nayyar Is Still Inspiring Fans
Nayyar once shared how his Big Bang role has inspired fans across the world, something that fills his heart with joy. In an interview with Parade, he revealed that one fan wrote to him that his son decided to pursue physics because of him. Another fan shared that he was in the hospital for months and the show is what got him through.
