Why The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar Finds Raj So Relatable

From 2007 to 2019, Kunal Nayyar portrayed astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory." 12 seasons and 279 episodes is a very generous time for an actor to explore a single character and add their own flavor to it — and it doesn't exactly hurt that Nayyar was able to find several things that he could relate to in Raj's personality and the way he approached the world. 

While the actor and the character obviously aren't the same, such shared traits helped Naayar in his lengthy mission to live in Raj's headspace. He described some of the biggest similarities between his famous character and himself in an interview with the New York Post:

"Biggest similarities, there are quite a few, obviously. Obviously, we are very different in real life. I have no issues talking to women. I've been married a long time now, but there are a lot of similarities. I am obsessed with 'Star Wars,' I am a big comic book nerd; there are many ways in which we are similar, and of course, there are many ways in which we are different."

As Kunal Nayyar noted, he and Raj share enough qualities for him to find his "The Big Bang Theory" character relatable. He also contributed to Raj's specific brand of nerdiness with touches of his own personality, which he also discussed in the New York Post interview:

"I think all of us actors will admit that we bring aspects of our personality to all the characters we play. If that means a part of me is nerdy, I am happy to accept it."

It's interesting to note that Nayyar's roles before and after "The Big Bang Theory" have revealed entirely different sides of him as an actor. Before starring in "The Big Bang Theory," he played a villain on "NCIS." Then, immediately after the show ended, Nayyar shed his Raj image in the boldest way possible by playing conniving murderer Sandeep Singh on Netflix's "Criminal." Since then, he's starred in projects like the Apple TV+ thriller series "Suspicion" and the comedy-drama film "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry," and his major roles have tended to be pretty far removed from anything "The Big Bang Theory" fans might expect. 

Perhaps this is the flip side of bringing aspects of himself to his characters. With 12 years of exploring light-hearted nerdiness, it's not hard to see why Nayyar would want to bring other sides of himself and his acting game to the table.