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Kunal Nayyar

Kunal Nayyar

Actor, also producer · Born April 30, 1981 (45) · London, England

BAFTA Award nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee

Kunal Nayyar (born 30 April 1981) is a British actor who gained recognition for playing Raj Koothrappali on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He also voiced Vijay Patel on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom Sanjay and Craig. Nayyar was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2021 British Academy Television Awards for his role as Sandeep Singh in Netflix anthology series Criminal: UK.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 30, 1981 (45)
From
London, England
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

What are Kunal Nayyar's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Morality
16%
Self
12%
Survival
11%
Society
9%
Power
5%
Ideas
4%
Friendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 2 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 8 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 7
Hero
3 of 7
Shadow
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
8
Tense
5
Hopeful
6
Warm
6
Melancholic
4
Other
12

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kunal Nayyar's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kunal Nayyar's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Stuart Fails to Save the Universe(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · as Rajesh Koothrappali

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Christmas Karma(2025)

    as Eshaan Sood

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • How to Date Billy Walsh(2024)

    as Rupert Brown

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Spaceman(2024)

    as Peter

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Trolls Band Together(2023)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Night Court(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Martini Toddwallis

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry(2022)

    Executive Producer · as A.J. Fikry

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Jennifer Hudson Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Suspicion(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Aadesh Chopra

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Trolls Holiday in Harmony(2021)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Think Like a Dog(2020)

    as Mr. Mills

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Trolls: Tiny Diamond Goes Back to School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

  • Trolls World Tour(2020)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Criminal: UK(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Sandeep Singh

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Sweetness in the Belly(2019)

    as Dr. Robin Sathi

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Trolls: Trolla-Palooza Tour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

  • Trolls Holiday(2017)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Trolls(2016)

    as Guy Diamond (voice)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Consumed(2015)

    as Serge Negani

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Cabbie(2014)

    as Tony

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Scribbler(2014)

    as Karem

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Sanjay and Craig(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Vijay (voice)

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Beyond All Boundaries(2013)

    Producer · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Mindy Project(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Sendhil

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Ice Age: Continental Drift(2012)

    as Gupta (voice)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Big Bang Theory(2007)

    Show 279 episodes · as Rajesh Koothrappali

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • NCIS(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Youssef Zidan (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Diya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer · Producer · as (voice)

  • Patel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Up and Comer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 30 titles, 27 of them dated from 2003 to 2026; peak year 2023.

Biggest box office

Christmas Karma (2025)

$1.8M worldwide

Highest rated

The Big Bang Theory (2007)

Midcredits 89th

Film career

MilestoneNomination
20032026

Peak 2023 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting30 of 30: 28 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score51stProducing2 of 30: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

By decade

2000s2 · acting2010s12 · acting2020s13 · 13 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 7% of 14 roles
1217

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

7 major nominations and no wins, 2012–2021.

  1. 2021
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Supporting Actor
  2. 2017
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  3. 2016
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  4. 2015
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  5. 2014
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  6. 2013
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  7. 2012
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Kunal Nayyar's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 24 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Christmas Karma (2025)

92nd percentile spread · 49% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, producer

Beyond All Boundaries (2013)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kunal Nayyar's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, 2 of the 5 categories sit near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 25 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles17–46 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles27–59 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Kunal Nayyar work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kunal Nayyar's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jonathan Fener shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Producers