Film & TV1 min(s) read
Published 16:23 17 Sep 2020 GMT
Big Bang Theory star Knual Nayyar has taken a dramatic step away from his comedy roots and is now stunning viewers as a killer in Netflix's Criminal.
The actor explained that he wanted his next major project after the Big Bang Theory to be drastically different from the comedy that had made him a household name.
His new role as the cold and calculating Sandeep Singh really is a world away from Koothrappali...
If you haven't seen it yet, this is the trailer for Criminal season two:
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In an interview with the Metro, Nayyar said he had made the "deliberate" decision to take on the role, saying: "It came at the right time. It was definitely what I wanted to do.
"Also physically, I'm so recognizable from my voice, I'm so recognizable from my face... it was important to do something that completely breaks the barrier."
He continued: "I still have some mannerisms of Raj. Just as I have some mannerisms of this character, but I wanted to make sure that whatever I did next was like, 'Wait, who is this? Oh My God. Is that the guy from The Big Bang?!', as opposed to 'Oh there's Raj, playing a killer'.
"I hope if there's anything that can be taken away from this is that that's what I would have achieved - that the first instance is 'Wow, they're so different!'"
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Nayyar explained that after enjoying David Tennant's role in the show, he reached out to the producers of Criminal, having already met with the casting director of another project who informed him about it.
They worked together on a "dramatic play" and the director, therefore, knew that Nayyar was a perfect fit for the role.
Nayyer then watched the first season of the show before emailing to say that he'd like to be a part of it.
"People on television have only known me as Raj from Big Bang," Nayyar added.
"But obviously, this person has known me and seen me act in a variety of myriad of other things."
Season one of Criminal was released in 2019, promising a "revolutionary" take on the genre by exploring how events take place from within the setting of the police interview room.
And needless to say, people had a lot to say on social media about Nayyar's new role.
One Twitter user wrote: "ok fr why was he chained to big bang theory for so long i have seen him in the theatre and in his episode of criminal and he’s a phenomenal actor."
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A second remarked: "I loved Kunal Nayyar as Raj, but his performance as Sandeep was so good in Criminal UK #CriminalUK #Netflix #bigbangtheory"
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Meanwhile, a third added: "Currently watching Criminal on Netflix and I'm losing my head at the Sandeep episode because I just realised its the same actor who plays Rajesh in Big Bang Theory."
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Season two of Criminal is available to stream on Netflix now.
