Actor Kunal Nayyar has opened up about moving on from playing Raj on The Big Bang Theory. As one of the original stars of the popular sitcom, Nayyar played his role for 12 years, until the series finally wrapped up in 2019. Now, the actor has a new starring role with character Aadesh Chopra, one of the identified suspects in Apple TV's new thriller series, Suspicion.
The character of Raj wasn't actually a part of The Big Bang Theory's original pilot. However, after CBS asked for the premise to be reworked, Nayyar, Simon Helberg's Howard, and Kaley Cuoco's Penny were added to join Jim Parsons' Sheldon and Johnny Galecki's Leonard. From then on, Raj became a series regular on The Big Bang Theory, although many fans believed the character lacked some personal narrative development. Instead, his storylines typically functioned to serve other characters' arcs. In any case, Raj was still a fan-favorite thanks to his kind nature, which sometimes bordered on naivety.
Almost three years since The Big Bang Theory wrapped, Nayyar is trying something significantly different from what he's used to in playing Raj. In Suspicion, the actor plays a nefarious suspect. When asked in a new interview with Pop Culture if he intentionally chose his new role to get away from his Big Bang Theory part, Nayyar candidly said "absolutely." But there were also other factors that led to his decision to star in the Apple TV thriller, including working with his "great" new co-stars. Read Nayyar's full comments below:
"Absolutely. I think as an actor, I always try to pick things that are different. For me personally, I wouldn't want to have a career where I'm only known for one thing and it's also fun ... I learned a couple of new skills and I got to work... I learned from a lot of great actors, also, I got to work with. And then to do a show for Apple TV+, and to work with Chris Long, our director, was really a whole package. It's not just one thing. It's not like I always seek things that are different, but this so happened to be a really wonderful package for it to come together."
Nayyar has been speaking extensively about his long-running experience working on The Big Bang Theory while promoting Suspicion. This is understandable, considering that the thriller is his first project since wrapping up a long stint as Raj, which is by far the role he is best known for. While the actor has admitted that he's grateful for having a steady job for such a long time, Nayyar has also been open about the sacrifices made to star in Big Bang Theory by the whole cast, including spending lengthy periods away from loved ones. The actor's recent comments, however, indicate that he is finding his latest project both refreshing and exciting, allowing him to break from The Big Bang Theory's ever-present legacy, learn new skills and tackle a completely different character.
Nayyar's eagerness to forge a new path for himself by starring in a series like Suspicion is likely one of the reasons why he doesn't think that a The Big Bang Theory reunion will happen anytime soon. Since the show wrapped up while still extremely popular, fans have clamoring for a revival special of some kind. Like his former co-star, Cuoco, Nayyar is more than game for a reunion, but believes that it's best suited to much further in the future. Producing a The Big Bang Theory reunion so close to the show's end would certainly seem hasty, and perhaps it is best if the show's stars are given time to flourish in their brand new projects before returning to Pasadena.
Source: Pop Culture