Why Kunal Nayyar Hated Filming 1 Scene in The Big Bang Theory: ‘It was a little disgusting’
- Kunal Nayyar achieved unparalleled fame for his role as Raj Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory.
- He once revealed why he found the filming of the hot tub scene in Season 10 disgusting.
- His co-star Kevin Sussman also did not particularly enjoy that scene for a different reason.
Indian-British actor Kunal Nayyar gained widespread recognition for his role as Raj Koothrapalli, an astrophysicist. Raj is one of the initial 5 leading characters around whom the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory revolves. Nayyar portrayed the character throughout the run of the show.
Just like any other profession, there are also parts of acting that some performers might not like. One such incident happened with Nayyar as well when he was not particularly happy with the filming of a scene. Although the scene looked rather comfortable to the viewers, the actor himself found it quite distasteful.
Kunal Nayyar Revealed the One Scene That He Did Not Particularly Like Filming
Despite having a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Portland, Kunal Nayyar decided to pursue his passion of acting. He received a Master of Fine Arts in acting from Temple University, Philadelphia. Post this, he appeared in American TV ads and also starred in some plays on the London stage.
Nayyar did not gain recognition in the US until 2006. Thereafter, he did a guest role in the fourth season of the CBS drama NCIS. In 2007, he auditioned for the role of Raj in The Big Bang Theory and landed it. It was not only his breakthrough but also his career-defining role.
However, all that glitters is not always gold. The role came with its challenges. Nayyar once revealed that filming the Season 10 episode The Hot Tub Contamination was not the most exciting experience for him. At the show’s San Diego Comic-Con 2017 panel (via Flicks And The City), he said:
It was a little disgusting but not because of Kevin [Sussman] because Kevin was the best part of the hot tub. The hot tub was slightly dirty, and you have to clean it and you know, hot tubs should be nice and bubbly and dark. This had lights underneath so you could see every layer of fat and skin and we were in there for quite a while shooting so our skin was like wrinkly and falling off.
In the episode, Raj and Stuart (Sussman) go over to Howard and Bernadette’s house to use their hot tub. However, they soon realize that Howard and Bernadette never left for their Palm Springs vacation.
Kevin Sussman Was Also Not a Huge Fan of This Scene
Nayyar also stated that his and Sussman’s feet kept touching which made things awkward. However, they had to pretend that it did not happen. The latter quipped that the Night Court actor should have mentioned the feet touching so that he could do his best to prevent that from happening.
That said, Sussman also did not have the time of his life in that bathtub scene because of his phobia of water. During the panel, he said:
I don’t like putting my head underwater ever … A bunch of people had to coach me, you know, ‘it’s going to be okay … we have a lot of people around.’
He admitted that the whole experience was “horrifying and disgusting” for him. It is not too much of a surprise that they had to put up with such things, but it would have been good to know that the scene was as relaxing as it appeared.
The Big Bang Theory is available for streaming on Max.
