British-Indian actor Kunal Nayyar has made it to the Forbes' annual top 10 highest-paid TV actors. At number one spot is his The Big Bang Theory co-star Jim Parsons, while he is at the fourth position.
The 36-year-old actor who plays Rajesh Koothrappali in the popular show has earned $25 million between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, Forbes reported.
His character in the popular sit-com is loved by many across the globe. Here are the 7 things you should know about the talented actor:
Early life
The charming astrophysicist on The Big Bang Theory is a trained Shakespearean performer. The actor was born in London in a Punjabi family. However, he was brought up in New Delhi as his family moved there when he was four.
Later, in 1999, he moved to the United States to study business at the University of Portland. Though he was studying business, he spent a lot of time in the theatre and realised his love for acting. Later, he went on to pursue Master of Fine Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia.
First on-screen acting gig
Kunal's first on-screen acting gig was as a terrorist on NCIS in an episode entitled 'Suspicion', which was aired just a few months before he took up the role of Rajesh Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory.
Toilet cleaner
For Kunal, like many, Hollywood life wasn't glamorous initially. The actor had to clean toilets and manage a computer lab to make ends meet, according to a CBS report.
Other works
Apart from his notable work in the television series of The Big Bang Theory, Kunal also lends his voice to the Sanjay and Craig, the Nickelodeon animated series. He had performed some pretty amazing theatrical gigs. Kunal has co-hosted the Tribute to Nerds show with co-star Simon Helberg at Just for Laughs, in 2011. He also voiced Gupta in Ice Age: Continental Drift. Also, he performed in an off-Broadway production, The Spoils.
The actor had published a book in September 2015 about his career journey — Yes, My Accent is Real. He voiced Guy Diamond in DreamWorks' animated movie Trolls and is all set to voice Aziz in Disney Pixar's Cars 3.
Star Wars fan
Kunal is a huge Star Wars fan in real life and also named his dog after a Star Wars character, Boba Fett.
Life partner
Kunal tied the knot with 2006 Miss India Neha Kapur in 2011. His grand wedding ceremony lasted for almost six days with nearly 1,000 guests attending the event.
Fluent in Hindi
Since Kunal grew up in New Delhi, India, he speaks fluent Hindi. Well, in that case, Indian fans of The Big Bang Theory would love to see him in a different avatar in a Hindi movie for sure.
