Imagine being nearly broke and then rocketing to TV stardom! That’s exactly what happened to Kunal Nayyar before he snagged his iconic role as Rajesh Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory.
Before TBBT made Raj one of TV’s highest-paid actors, Nayyar had just graduated with a business degree from the University of Portland. Hollywood dreams? Far from it—he was struggling. But everything flipped in 2007 when he auditioned for Raj. One moment, he’s unknown; the next he’s on the longest-running multi-camera sitcom in history.
Success didn’t come easy. Raj wasn’t your typical “brown guy caricature.” Sure, he had his quirks—awkward, thick accent, and all—but he was no punchline. He was part of a geeky squad that stole hearts for over a decade, and Nayyar’s portrayal stood out at a time when Indian actors were barely breaking into Hollywood.
Fast forward to the end of The Big Bang Theory in 2019, when Nayyar’s career had hit a new peak. The entire cast had their handprints cemented at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood—a first for TV stars. But instead of diving into another high-profile gig, Nayyar decided to pause. Literally. The day the show wrapped, he announced a break from social media, sharing a photo from the south of France. “I’d come out of a very emotional yet exhilarating 12 years of my life,” Nayyar said. He needed time for himself—away from the digital chaos—to focus on self-inquiry, inner silence, and being truly present.
Nayyar treated it like a clean slate unlike other stars who take social media breaks for privacy. No deadlines, no agenda. “For the first time since I left India, I have the luxury of time,” he explained. After two decades of grinding in the cutthroat world of acting, he wanted to focus on balancing life and work. You’d think the $900,000 per episode paycheck would bring automatic happiness, but according to Nayyar, it wasn’t that simple. “I realised happiness has nothing to do with what you achieve on the outside.”
With fame and fortune secured, Nayyar shifted gears. He started working on new, unexpected projects, like playing a villain in Think Like a Dog with Megan Fox and voicing a character in the Trolls franchise. He even repped India at the Toronto Film Festival with Sweetness in the Belly, opposite Dakota Fanning. And through it all, he kept his work-life balance in check, growing a beard and blending in as a tourist during trips to Europe and India.
Nayyar’s journey wasn’t just about breaking into Hollywood—it was about breaking out of the box he was placed in. Now, with platforms like Netflix India and Amazon opening doors for actors of South Asian descent, Nayyar is eyeing roles in Hindi projects back home. And as he’s said before, it’s a win-win: acting, which he calls “the joy of my life,” while spending time with family in Delhi.
The hustle paid off. Now, Nayyar’s doing things on his own terms, and honestly? We can’t wait to see what’s next.
