Raj Koothrappali

Living... in an apartment in Pasadena, California, which he shares with his younger sister, Priya. Raj comes from a financially well-off family but tries hard to be self-sufficient and not rely on them.

Profession... astrophysicist at Caltech. Raj is very highly regarded in the field, and is well known for his published scientific papers. Particularly impressive is his discovery of a distant planetary object, which lead to his inclusion in People magazine's "30 Visionaries Under 30 Years of Age to Watch." 

Interests... women. Raj is obsessed with trying to find love and companionship. His methods aren't the best and his insecurity often leads him astray but he is committed and will stop at nothing until he has found "the one."

Relationship Status... single. Raj is very shy around women, so much so that he is barely able to even talk to them. He has had a small amount of very short term flings, but no long term relationships. Raj regularly bemoans the fact that he is the only male is his circle of friends to be single. He says, "It was gonna be like the old days – the four of us hanging out, playing video games, before you guys all got girlfriends. Do you have any idea what its like to the be the only one without a girlfriend?" 

Challenge... overcoming his anxiety. Raj is extremely smart and a relatively interesting guy but is completely unable to open up to others. Socially, his own mental barriers are his only impedance, but crippling fear of rejection makes him avoid interaction entirely. As he puts it, "I have such difficulty speaking to women, or around women, or at times even effeminate men." 

Personality... patient and level-headed, able to tolerate his friend Sheldon's antics longer than anyone else. His friends make fun of him for being effeminate in his fashion sense and enjoyment of cooking, but he is arguably the most normal one in the group. He is just extremely sheltered and thus has very little experience in the real world.