"The Big Bang Theory" star Kunal Nayyar claims that he is much cooler than his character, Raj Koothrappali, but not by much.
In an interview with India Today, the 34-year-old actor said that people tend to get surprised when they see him in public. Fans tend to point out that he looked nothing like Raj in real life. He, however, said that he shared a few similarities with his character, such as being "gullible."
Speaking about his memoir "Yes, My Accent is Real," Nayyar revealed that life has not been easy for him growing up. He shared that there were a lot of times when he felt humiliated and doubted his capabilities as an actor. Nayyar held that it was very difficult to think back to those times, adding that he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night because of panic attacks.
Before he acted alongside "The Big Bang Theory" co-stars Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Jim Parsons (Sheldon) and Simon Helberg (Howard), Nayyar shared that he had to wait tables and scrub toilets. However, instead of being depressed, Nayyar said that he always had a positive outlook in life.
"I wasn't thinking, 'Oh my god, this is such a s****y job.' I was thinking: 'Now I have the money to buy Christmas presents for the people I love.'"
In other news, the "TBBT" star also shared that he has always wanted to do a Bollywood movie. The actor revealed that he has always been a huge Bollywood fan and would be more than thrilled to star in one.
In an interview with DNA India, Nayyar admitted that he has received several offers from different filmmakers in India. When asked why he turned down the opportunity, Nayyar explained that it had something to do with movies' story. They just did not speak to him.
"For me, it starts with the writing. In India, we need to nurture better writing," he said.
The "TBBT" star, however, added that he recently came across "phenomenal" screenplays. Nayyar hinted that it may not be too long before fans get to see him in a Bollywood movie.