How much is Kunal Nayyar worth?
| Net Worth: | $75 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Actor |
| Date of Birth: | April 30, 1981 (age 41) |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Height: | 5 ft 7 in (1.71 m) |
“When you move from a different country, it takes a while to make friends. I found myself being lonely a lot at first. In New Delhi, I had all my family. But Portland is one of those cities you can immerse yourself in and feel comfortable. People are so friendly.” Kunal Nayyar
About Kunal Nayyar
Kunal Nayyar is an English-Indian actor, voice artist, and writer. He began his career in 2004 just after he graduated from the Temple University with a Master’s degree in Fine Arts. In 2007, he joined one of the most successful television shows of the decade – The Big Bang Theory.
“No one ever sees the sleepless nights, the years of studying and 14-hour days earning your dues. I spent three years isolated in an academic environment to be the best actor I could.” Kunal Nayyar
Kunal Nayyar became famous after joining The Big Bang Theory in the late 2000s. He was born on 30 April 1981, in Hounslow, London. His parents are Indian immigrants that moved to London in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When he was four years old, in 1985, his family moved back to their homeland of New Delhi, India. He attended the St Columbia’s School in New Delhi and eventually moved to the United States, while his parents remained there, where they still live to this day.
“I was pretty awkward when I was young, but I was never afraid of putting myself out there. I would say stupid things but then they would laugh at me and possibly find it endearing.” Kunal Nayyar
In 1999, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he enrolled at the local university. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance from the University of Portland in the early 2000s. “People at the University of Portland were accepting and loving and open-minded. When you have a safety net, it allows you to take risks,” Kunal Nayyar has said.
Immediately after that, he enrolled at the Temple University in Philadelphia. Concomitantly with attending both universities, he also began taking acting classes and took part in many school plays. He also partook in multiple plays and scenes at the American College Theater Festival, which inspired him to pursue an acting career.
Landing several roles, especially in The Big Bang Theory and Sullivan and Son helped the Indian-British actor become very rich. While still attending the Temple University, Nayyar landed made his professional acting debut in the 2004 film S.C.I.E.N.C.E, where he had a minor role. After he earned his Master’s degree of Fine Arts in acting, he began auditioning for roles in television series.
In 2007, he made his television debut on the show NCIS. That same year, he defeated thousands of actors in the auditions and landed the role of Rajesh Kooothrappali in The Big Bang Theory.
“When we first started ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ I would get incredibly nervous because it’s such a big show and I was just out of graduate school. I’d come in and have this huge responsibility for the one line that everyone hopes will bring down the house.” Kunal Nayyar
The CBS show started in September and for the first season, Kunal was paid a reported $45,000 per episode. After the sixth season, his earnings went up to an estimated $150,000. By season eleven, he reached his peak earnings of $900,000 per episode. The other main stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, and Kaley Cuoco made peak earning of $1 million dollars per episode. Overall, by the end of the series, in mid-May 2019, Kunal had earned more than $110 million, making him one of the highest-paid television actors in the world.
While being one of the main stars on the CBS hit series, the actor also joined many other films and television series. He became a main cast member of Sanjay and Crage (where he had a voice role) and Sullivan and Son. Most recently, he has transitioned into a voice artist/actor that took part in the latest Ice Age films – Ice Age: Continental Drift and Ice Age: The Great Egg-Escapade.
Outside of the television, Kunal Nayyar is also known as a passionate lover of the theatre. In between London, UK, and Washington/Los Angeles, US, he has taken part in a number of plays such as Huck and Holden, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and The Spoils. Since 2012, he has also taken part in a bunch of films, specifically thrillers and comedies like Doctor Cabbie, The Scribbler, Consumed, and Think Like a Dog.
Nayyar’s Total Net Worth
It has been reported that Kunal Nayyar’s starting salary for The Big Bang Theory was $45,000, which is a very good starting salary because often studios will negotiate a flat fee for the first two seasons. Then, on the strength of the show and the ratings for it and the individual actor, a new fee will be negotiated on a per episode basis. According to the reports, that wasn’t the case with The Big Bang Theory. Nayyar was being paid a per episode rate of $45k from day one.
Reportedly from season two onwards, Nayyar’s salary went up dramatically. According to reports he was paid $150,000 per episode from seasons two through six. It then went up, again. This time to $600,000 for seasons seven and eight. It was then raised again to $800,000 for seasons nine and ten. Finally settling on a salary of $900,000 per episode for seasons eleven and twelve.
- That means that for season one, in which there are 17 episodes at a rate of $45,000 per episode, Nayyar was paid $765,000.
- For seasons two, three, four, fix and six, in which there are 118 episodes at a rate of $150,000 per episode, Nayyar was paid $17.7 million.
- For seasons seven and eight, in which there are 48 episodes at a rate of $600,000 per episode, Nayyar was paid $28.8 million.
- For seasons nine and ten, in which there are another 48 episodes this time at a rate of $800,000 per episode, Nayyar was paid $38.4 million.
- For seasons eleven and twelve, in which there are yet another 48 episodes this time at a rate of $900,000 per episode, Nayyar was paid $43.2 million.
In total, therefore, Kunal Nayyar earned $111.17 million for his role as Raj Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory. Nayyar will have had to pay some hefty tax on that, of course. In fact, it is estimated that he was taxed an overall 36% on his earnings. Leaving his after tax earnings from the show at $71.15, having paid $40.02 million in taxes.
While Kunal Nayyar was almost exclusively known as Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory, he has since made other appearances as well. For example, in Think Like a Dog as well as in 4 episodes of Mira, Royal Detective and 8 episodes of Suspicion. Before The Big Bang Theory, he had only appeared in S.C.I.E.N.C.E as ‘Pizza Man’. During the series however he also made about 15 appearances in films and other TV series. For example, CollegeHumor Originals, The Scribbler, 10 episodes in Fantasy Hospital and a 29 episodes in Sanjay and Craig.
Overall, from his acting appearances outside of The Big Bang Theory, of which there have been 27, plus another 58 appearances as himself and 2 producing credits. Nayyar has earned an estimated $9 million. Which brings his total career earnings to $120.17 million. After subtracting tax his total taxed earnings are $76.9 million. After factoring in likely living costs and other expenditures, miscellaneous costs and expenses, including losses and some investment gains. It is estimated that Kunal Nayyar has a net worth of above $75 million dollars.
Summing-Up
Kunal Nayyar is now known for being one of the funny main cast members of The Big Bang Theory. He joined the series in the very first episode (that aired in April 2007) and quickly gained international popularity. In a little over a decade, his net worth went from $20,000 to his name to a net worth estimated to be $75 million and continues to rise.
Apart from earning himself millions of dollars, thanks to his outstanding performances, the actor has received six consecutive nominations for Screen Actors Guild Awards. Now, he’s gathered millions of fans from around the world and continues to star in television projects, with his most recently being a role being in the thriller series Suspicious which also stars Uma Thurman.
