Kunal Nayyar has a life most would describe as a dream. He landed his breakthrough role as Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory at just 26, rose to global fame almost overnight, and went on to earn around $1 million per episode at the height of the show’s success—becoming one of the highest-paid actors on television ever.
Today, the 44-year-old actor, producer, and entrepreneur has an estimated net worth of $45 million, a résumé spanning film, television, publishing, and tech. But none of that has insulated him from difficult days.
When things start to unravel, Nayyar doesn’t reach for motivational podcasts or productivity hacks. He repeats one word to himself instead: 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,” Nayyar tells Fortune.
“Take a breath. Take a pause. Let’s just see what happens.”
