The Big Bang Theory alum Kunal Nayyar has addressed his gratitude for his financial success, saying he enjoys donating to strangers’ GoFundMe pages to help change their lives.
The 44-year-old actor opened up about reaching financial stability — after playing astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali on all 12 seasons of the hit CBS sitcom — during an interview with The i Paper.
“Money has given me greater freedom and the greatest gift is the ability to give back, to change people’s lives,” he told the publication.
He also shared some of the kind ways that he and his wife, fashion designer Neha Kapur, have helped others, including funding college scholarships for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We also support animal charities because we love dogs. But what I really love to do is go on GoFundMe at night and just pay random families’ medical bills,” the actor added. “That’s my masked vigilante thing.”
Nayyar said that his wealth doesn’t “weigh heavy” on him, nor does it “feel like a burden,” insisting it’s “a grace from the universe.” He also argued that while not everyone can contribute to GoFundMe pages in the way he can, it’s still possible to find a way to support others.
“Right now, people are not happy because we are all expecting someone else to be kind. We are expecting a president or a politician, some leader, to come and bring us world peace,” he said, before shaking his head. “But there is no world peace if your neighbor comes to your door wanting some sugar for their tea, and you lock it against them and say ‘get away.’”
Nayyar rose to fame at the age of 26, when he was cast on The Big Bang Theory alongside Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Johnny Galecki. The show was a massive hit, with Nayyar going on to receive $1 million per episode during the later seasons.
Only a month after Nayyar’s comments about wealth were published, Fortune reported that he had an estimated net worth of $45 million. Still, Nayyar acknowledges that his lifestyle is very different from most people.
“I don’t have a regular nine to five job, so it’s different. When I’m shooting, then I’m a slave to whatever my schedule is,” he told the publication in January. “Those days can lead into 16-hour days, with six hour turnarounds.”
During those stressful days, he repeats one word to himself to help him calm down: “Surrender.”
“Sometimes, if I find myself really banging my head against something, and it’s just one of those days where everything’s going wrong, I just tell myself surrender,” he explained. “Take a breath. Take a pause. Let’s just see what happens.”