After spending twelve years one the most popular network comedies of the modern TV era, The Big Bang Theory vet Kunal Nayyar is set to join a TV series that doesn't involve comic book fandom, Wil Wheaton, or the word "bazinga." At least, that's what I'm assuming, based on what's been revealed so far. Nayyar has joined the new Apple TV+ thriller Suspicion, which boasts the always excellent Uma Thurman as its lead star.
Based on the acclaimed and award-winning Israeli series False Flag, created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman, Apple TV+'s Suspicion is a fast-paced thriller that centers on the aftermath of a kidnapping. Uma Thurman will play a prominent American businesswoman whose 21-year-old son Leo gets abducted from a large and lavish hotel in the middle of New York.
The kidnapping is captured on video, which goes viral across the internet as four British hotel-goers are singled out as the prime suspects. The mystery here, though, is whether the suspects are guilty of the kidnapping, or if they themselves were merely victims of unfortunate circumstances. (The odds seem strong that someone is guilty, right?)
At this time, unfortunately, no further information has been revealed about who Kunal Nayyar will be playing for Suspicion. It's certainly possible that he could be portraying one of the British suspects, or he might be playing a hotel employee or authority figure. What can be easily assumed, though, is that the role won't net Nayyar the same high-dollar paychecks as his former gig did.
Suspicion has a pretty stocked cast at this point, with Kunal Nayyar and Uma Thurman being joined by The Americans' Noah Emmerich, Krypton's Georgina Campbell, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Elizabeth Henstridge, Scorpion's Elyes Gabel and The Tunnel's Angel Coulby. Not a bad lineup in the slightest, with lots of heavy-hitters involved.
The talent extends to behind the camera, as well, with The Man in the High Castle writer/producer Rob Williams on board as the showrunner. Williams also penned an episode of Killing Eve and created last year's thriller The Victim. He'll also serve as an executive producer along with longtime TV writer and producer Chris Long, who has worked on everything from Criminal Minds to Smallville to Gilmore Girls to Apple TV+'s upcoming Amazing Stories anthology. Also signed on as a producer will be Darin McLeod, who served in a similar capacity for HBO's Watchmen TV show.
This marks the very first TV role that Kunal Nayyar will be taking after bidding farewell to The Big Bang Theory and his beloved character Raj. Given that Raj hadn't ended the show with the same relationship status as the other characters, many fans hoped that the character would get his own spinoff, but Nayyar wanted to step out and stretch his acting muscles outside of network comedy for his post-Big Bang career. Fans also hoped he might land some kind of TV or movie project with an idol of his, Kal Penn, but maybe that'll come in the future. You can catch Nayyar in the upcoming Trolls World Tour feature, though!
Considering Suspicion was only just ordered to series, Kunal Nayyar fans will be waiting a while to see the actor back in action on the small screen for Apple TV+. In the meantime, remember that The Big Bang Theory episodes will finally be available to stream when HBO Max goes live in May.
