Actor Kunal Nayyar just celebrated a major milestone. The actor, who starred as astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali on CBS’s hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, took a cue from his onscreen counterpart on May 1, when he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Portland, where he later delivered the commencement address.
Nayyar celebrated the special moment on Instagram, where he shared a photo of Raj alongside a photo of himself at the commencement ceremony as a newly-certified doctorate receiver. Reflecting on the moment, the actor shared that he “never thought after playing Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali for 12 years, I would be honored with an actual doctorate in real life.” Nayyar went on to thank the University of Portland “for the honor of PHD of Humane Letters,” adding that he was “humbled.” He concluded the caption on a humorous note, teasing, “Oh, and you can call me Dr Kunal now, I won’t mind;).”
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Nayyar, who was born in London and grew up in New Delhi, graduated from the University of Portland in 2003, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Just four years later, he landed his leading role on The Big Bang Theory, which ran for 12 seasons through 2019. He returned to the University of Portland on May 1, delivering an address to the class of 2022 from the Chiles Center, beginning by joking that his wife would have to call him “Doctor” from now on.
“The more you know yourself, the more you begin to see the world the way it actually is, not the way you think it should be, because all of us are trying to fit this infinite universe into a finite understanding,” he said. “We’re trying to mold the world into this tiny box so we can control it. But I think to be joyful, light, peaceful, it may be helpful to loosen the grip you have on this world a little. Do your thing. Let the universe do its thing too, because nothing lasts forever.”
In the address, Nayyar also shared that while it is “often said, ‘Find your purpose so you can live a meaningful life,’” he would “say, why not live a meaningful life and then find your purpose?” The May 1 ceremony marked the University of Portland’s first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019.
