Johnny Galecki's Full Biography
Johnny Galecki is an American actor best known for his role as Leonard Hofstadter in the popular sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," though he was acting long before that show debuted.
Galecki was introduced to the theater stage at a young age, and quickly progressed to the screen, appearing in multiple TV movies during his teens, as well as appearances on various television series, and taking the role of Rusty Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Galecki’s appearances on the sitcom “Roseanne” earned him accolades, but it was “The Big Bang Theory” that would make him an icon.
Since “Big Bang Theory” ended, Galecki has continued working, adding further production credits to his resume.
Early Life and Education
He was born John Mark Galecki on April 30, 1975, in Bree, Belgium, to Mary Louise Noon and Richard Galecki. His mother was a mortgage consultant, and his father was a member of the U.S. Air Force – hence their presence in Belgium.
When he was three, the family returned to the United States, specifically to Chicago, Illinois, where he would grow up, along with two younger siblings.
At only 4 years old, Galecki says he told his mother he planned to be on television, and that he wasn’t going to wait until he grew up to do it.
His parents enrolled him in acting classes, and by age 11 was well-known in the Chicago theater scene, having already been nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Citation for his performance in “The Member of the Wedding,” according to IMDB.
It didn’t take long for Galecki to make it to screen, either. In 1989 – barely a teenager – he was cast in the holiday movie “Prancer,” and soon after would be picked for another Christmas movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Galecki attended only one day of high school before dropping out to focus on his acting career.
Career
1980s
In 1987, Galecki appeared in a CBS miniseries titled “Murder Ordained.”
From there he went on to appear in two Christmas movies, “Prancer,” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” the latter of which was a launching point for his acting career.
1990s
Galecki, still in his teens, was beginning to be cast in roles close to the lead characters – he took the role of the son of the lead character on the NBC comedy “American Dreamer,” for one.
He caught the eye of Roseanne Barr, who picked him to join the cast of her sitcom, “Roseanne” – in a role that was supposed to be a one-off appearance, but became a regular character, and even resulted in a role in the spin-off, “The Conners,” nearly 3 decades later.
He began to catch a diverse variety of roles, playing a gay character in “The Opposite of Sex,” and appearing in the dark comedy “Suicide Kings.”
He even shows up in the music video for Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” playing one of the young men navigating the dating scene.
2000s
Galecki continued to land movie roles – “Vanilla Sky,” “Bookies,” Happy Endings.”
He was also being cast for guest appearances in televisions series, including “Norm,” “LAX,” and “My Name Is Earl,” and had a voice role in the “Batman Beyond” animated series.
It was in 2007, though, when he was cast in "The Big Bang Theory," that Galecki would become a regular guest in viewing homes across the nation.
As Leonard Hofstadter, he joined Jim Parsons’ character, Sheldon Cooper, as a socially awkward but loveable genius trying to learn to exist in the social world as well as the academic.
2010s
As he continued in his “Big Bang Theory” role, Galecki also appeared in other movies and shows, including the horror movie “Rings,” the horror comedy “The Cleanse,” and appearances on “Entourage.”
In 2018, he was also supposed to reprise his role as David Healy on the reboot of “Roseanne.”
However, the show was canceled after Barr posted a racist tweet comparing former President Barack Obama’s advisor, Valerie Jarrett, to an ape.
Instead, the show was replaced with a new version called “The Conners,” and Galecki’s recurring character appears in several episodes.
By this point, he was also branching out into production roles. He served as executive producer on “The Cleanse” (which he also starred in), and on several television series including “Sci-Jinks” and “Living Biblically.”
2020s
Since the end of “”Big Bang Theory,” in 2019, Galecki hasn’t appeared in many roles, though he was executive producer on one episode of the 2022 series, “Catching Babies.”
Personal Life
Relationships
Galecki has dated a few of his costars.
During his teen years, he dated his “Roseanne” costar Sara Gilbert, before she realized she was gay.
He also dated his “Big Bang Theory” co-star, Kaley Cuoco.
In 2018, he revealed a relationship with Alaina Meyer. The two have a son together who was born in 2019, but as of 2020 were reported to have split up.
Religion
Galecki describes his religious upbringing as “hippie Catholic,” according to The Christian Post. He has not clarified his exact current beliefs but has expressed respect for faith.
Health
Galecki has not publicly disclosed any health issues.
Net Worth
He has a reported net worth of $100 million.
Jobs
Galecki is still involved in the television and film industry.
Activism
Galecki has expressed feelings on several sociopolitical matters, including gun violence.
He received backlash for saying that it’s time for change after a school shooting that took 17 young lives in Florida in 2018.
He’s also spoken in support of Greta Thunberg, praising her activism on climate.
Controversies
Galecki has been adjacent to some controversies, though not directly involved in any major ones himself.
According to BuzzFeed News, when his co-star Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet that resulted in the cancellation of the revival of their shared sitcom, he described himself as both “p***ed off” and concerned about her.
He’s been criticized by some viewers for taking a stance on gun control, when he suggested that it’s time to do something to stop wholesale slaughter of schoolchildren.
