Kunal Nayyar

Kunal Nayyar plays astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory. Raj begins as the quietest member of the group in certain company, but Nayyar finds plenty of comedy in the romantic hopes, wounded pride and elaborate expectations behind that reserve. His exchanges with Simon Helberg's Howard often feel like a private argument that everyone else has accidentally joined.

Born in London and raised in New Delhi, Nayyar studied in the United States, including acting training at Temple University. He later appeared on stage in Jesse Eisenberg's The Spoils.

Away from the sitcom, he plays Aadesh Chopra in the thriller Suspicion. His work also includes Criminal: UK, which earned him a supporting-actor BAFTA nomination, and the voice of Guy Diamond in Trolls. These roles offer a different register from Raj's familiar comic anxieties.