“The Big Bang Theory” star Kunal Nayyar, who was clearly aware of this when he shed his Raj Koothrappali image in the boldest way possible by playing a ruthlessly clever killer on Netflix’s “Criminal” after “The Big Bang Theory” ended.
The thing is, it can be equally weird to see popular sitcom actors in roles they took before the hit show, as well. Nayyar has you covered on that front, as well, given that his résumé includes one of the most unlikely roles you’d expect from the man most famous for playing the goofy Raj. Before “The Big Bang Theory,” Naayar appeared as a terrorist villain of the week in the CBS procedural stalwart “NCIS,” of all things — and at the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards (via USA Today), he shared his overwhelmingly positive experiences working on the show:
“I played a terrorist. I couldn’t grow a mustache so they had to glue one on me. I got punched by Mark Harmon. It was the greatest experience of my life.”
