"The Big Bang Theory" star Kunal Nayyar, who plays brilliant astrophysicist Raj Koothrapali in the show is more than just the character he plays, and he would like fans of the show to know that there's actually more to him than what they see in Raj.
"The way the gossip magazines see it, in 'The Big Bang Theory' I play this shy guy Raj, who can't talk to women. So they say, oh this shy nerd is dating a former beauty queen," he said during an interview with the Independent UK. Nayyar is married to the model and former Miss India winner Neha Kapur, and for his on-screen persona, that would've been an impossible feat.
But Nayyar stresses, "I'm not Raj, I'm Kunal! Though I don't mind the talk about my six-day wedding with 1,000 guests, or how I came in on a white horse: we'd have had seven days if it wouldn't have made us bankrupt!"
Nayyar knows that "The Big Bang Theory" is a successful sitcom, and he and his c0-stars have countless fans from all over the world. The fame is enough to drive anyone crazy, but Nayyar likes to keep grounded despite it all.
"The problem is you begin to feel entitled - everyone falls into the trap at some point as it's such a small fraternity of people who get to experience fame," he warned. "And within that fraternity there is also a hierarchy and that can drive you crazy. You go to a restaurant and it's a crowded restaurant and you have to wait for your table and you think, but I'm famous, why should I have to wait for my table and be bothered by all these people who want my picture? Those are the thoughts that begin to happen; you can't help yourself."
Surprisingly, Nayyar got into acting because he initially felt lonely when he arrived in America 15 years ago to study business at a university.
"I didn't know anyone and I looked, sounded and smelt different to everyone. I wanted to do something where people were forced to interact with me. A lot of people gravitate towards the theatre because you can feel safe about not being what society expects," he shared.
Nayyar is actually born in London but was raised in New Delhi. And despite living in the United States now, he still considers New Delhi as his real home.
"My roots are there and my whole family is there. When the plane lands and the steward says, 'Welcome to Indira Gandhi International Airport, the current temperature is 45 degrees,' that's when I feel most at home," he said.
