Johnny Galecki

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Johnny Galecki
Johnny Galecki by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Galecki in 2017
Born
John Mark Galecki

(1975-04-30) April 30, 1975 (age 49)
Bree, Limburg, Belgium
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1987–present
Spouse
Morgan Galecki
​
(m. 2024)​
Children2

John Mark Galecki (born April 30, 1975) [1] is an American actor. The accolades he has received include a Satellite Award, alongside nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and six Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Contents

He played Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019), and David Healy in the ABC sitcoms Roseanne (1992–1997; 2018) and The Conners (2018–2019). Galecki also appeared in the films Prancer (1989), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Suicide Kings (1997), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Bookies (2003), In Time (2011), and Rings (2017).

Galecki was one of the highest paid television actors in the world, with his role in The Big Bang Theory earning him approximately US$900,000 per episode between 2017 and 2019. In 2018, he was estimated to be the world's second highest-paid male TV actor by Forbes (behind only his The Big Bang Theory co-star Jim Parsons), earning $25 million. [2]

Early life

Galecki was born in Bree, Limburg, Belgium to American parents of Polish, Irish, and Italian descent. [3] His mother, Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Noon, was a mortgage consultant, and his father, Richard Galecki, was a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Belgium and worked as a rehabilitation teacher. [4] Galecki is the eldest of three children with a sister, Allison, and a brother, Nick, who he describes as a "mechanical genius" in the automotive industry. [5] [6] Galecki grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. He dropped out of school after 8th grade, attending high school for only one day. [7] [8]

During an interview with New Zealand radio station ZM, Galecki recalled his childhood relationship with his mother. As a child, he was well known for making up long stories and tales. In such situations, his mother used to make him play the "quiet game", where he had to see how long he could go without talking. He also recalled that despite being a loving mother, she was also very tough. One phrase she would lovingly use was, "I love you, now get out." [9]

Career

Galecki in July 2008 Johnny Galecki 2008.JPG
Galecki in July 2008

After working in the Chicago theatre scene as a young child, Galecki made his onscreen acting debut in the 1987 CBS miniseries Murder Ordained with JoBeth Williams and future Roseanne co-star John Goodman. In 1989, Galecki portrayed Rusty Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation . In 1990, he was cast as Danny Nash, the son of Robert Urich's lead character, on the NBC comedy American Dreamer ; the following season, he was a regular cast member on the ABC sitcom Billy , a spin-off from Head of the Class . He appeared in one episode of Blossom in 1991, opposite his future The Big Bang Theory co-star Mayim Bialik. He played a young delinquent in A Family Torn Apart , a 1993 TV movie based on a true story about a serial killer.

During his run on Billy, Galecki began making guest appearances on the hit ABC sitcom Roseanne as the younger brother of Mark Healy (Glenn Quinn), who began a relationship with Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert). Introduced in his first appearance as Kevin Healy, his name was soon changed to David. After a few more guest shots, Galecki was named a permanent Roseanne cast member from the fall of 1992 onward, after the cancellation of Billy. He would remain in the role of David Healy until the end of Roseanne's run in 1997, with the character eventually marrying Darlene and fathering two children with her. Galecki's character on The Big Bang Theory would also have a short-lived relationship with Gilbert's character on the same show.

Galecki also appeared in the 1995 music video for the Dave Matthews Band song "Satellite".

After Roseanne ended, Galecki had small roles in a string of films, including the 1997 summer slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer (as the killer's first victim), Bean (1997), The Opposite of Sex (1998), Bounce (2000) and Vanilla Sky (2001). He had larger roles in the 1997 film Suicide Kings and the 2003 film Bookies , a comedy thriller film about four college students. Galecki appeared as a golfer in a 2005 episode of My Name Is Earl entitled "Stole Beer from a Golfer". [10]

In 2005, Galecki played Mark Corrigan in a pilot for a US adaptation of the British sitcom Peep Show. [11] He played a character named Trouty on TBS's sitcom My Boys , and the half-brother of the main characters, sisters Hope Shanowski and Faith Fairfield, in the sitcom Hope & Faith . Galecki originated the role of Alex, a male prostitute, in the play The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane, in 2006 at Second Stage Theater. He stayed in the role for the play's Broadway run at the Cort Theatre in late 2006 and early 2007. Galecki said at the time, "At its core, the play is about what we all sacrifice to be successful, whatever our careers or goals." [12] The play was a critical success, and Galecki won a 2007 Theater World Award for his performance.

Galecki at PaleyFest 2013 Johnny Galecki at PaleyFest 2013.jpg
Galecki at PaleyFest 2013

Galecki played Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory , which ran from 2007 to 2019 and was, for most of its run, among the top three most popular television comedies in the US. Galecki was originally asked to play the role of Sheldon Cooper, but he felt he was better suited for the role of Leonard, and Sheldon's role was eventually given to Jim Parsons. During the show's run, two of Galecki's former Roseanne co-stars appeared on the show: Sara Gilbert (as Leslie Winkle, Leonard's colleague) and Laurie Metcalf (as Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mother). Galecki is a cellist, a talent that was used on the show. Until 2013, Galecki and his Big Bang co-stars Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons each earned US$325,000 per episode. [13] By 2014, the three were earning US$1 million per episode. [14]

Galecki appeared briefly in the 2008 superhero comedy Hancock , alongside Will Smith and Jason Bateman. In July 2011, he played a parody version of himself in three episodes of Entourage . He also appeared in the film In Time (2011) with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.

Galecki appeared in one episode of the 2018 revival of Roseanne on ABC. [15] It was canceled that May after Roseanne Barr posted a controversial and racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett. [16] Roseanne was replaced by a new program, The Conners , which premiered in October 2018 and featured the same cast without Barr. Galecki has occasionally appeared as David on The Conners. [17]

Personal life

As a teenager, Galecki dated his Roseanne (and later The Big Bang Theory) co-star Sara Gilbert (their characters also dated). During their relationship, Gilbert came out as lesbian. They remain close friends. [18]

While working on The Big Bang Theory, Galecki dated co-star Kaley Cuoco for about two years until December 2009 while the two also played a couple on the show. Cuoco told CBS Watch that they have remained on good terms since ending their relationship. [19]

Galecki owns 360 acres of land in Santa Margarita, California. His property included vineyards and a log cabin. [20] In late June 2017, Galecki's ranch was destroyed [21] in a major wildfire known as the Hill Fire. [22] Galecki, in a media statement, said wildfire was "the threat ... we live with constantly, which may seem crazy to some but we do so because living in our beautiful, rural area makes it worthwhile." [21]

In 2018, Galecki started dating Alaina Meyer. Their son was born in November 2019. In November 2020, it was reported that Galecki and Meyer had separated. [23] [24] He is now married to Morgan Galecki, who in 2024 gave birth to their daughter. [25]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleNotes
1987Time Out for DadMatt Rowles
1987 Murder Ordained Doug Rule
1988 A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon Toby Reardon
1989 Prancer Billy Quinn
1989 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Russell "Rusty" Griswold
1989In Defense of a Married ManEric
1991 Backfield in Motion Tim Seavers
1993 A Family Torn Apart Daniel Hannigan
1994 Without Consent Marty
1996Murder at My DoorTeddy McNair
1997 Bean Stingo Wheelie
1997 Suicide Kings Ira Reder
1997 I Know What You Did Last Summer Max Neurick
1998 The Opposite of Sex Jason Bock
2000 Playing Mona Lisa Arthur
2000 Bounce Seth
2001 Morgan's Ferry Darcy
2001 Vanilla Sky Peter Brown
2003 Bookies Jude
2004 Chrystal Barry
2004White Like MeMarcus Short film
2005 Happy Endings Miles Uncredited cameo
2007Who You KnowDavidShort film
2008 Hancock Jeremy
2009 Table for Three Ted
2011 In Time Borel
2013 CBGB Terry Ork
2016 The Cleanse PaulAlso producer
2017 Rings Gabriel Brown
2019 A Dog's Journey Henry Montgomery

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990–1991 American Dreamer Danny NashMain role
1990 Blind Faith John MarshallMain role, miniseries
1991 Blossom JasonEpisode: "Sex, Lies and Teenagers"
1992 Billy David MacGregorMain role
1992–1997;
2018		 Roseanne David Healy / Kevin Healy (1st episode)Recurring role (season 4–9), guest (season 10)
1993 Civil Wars Greg StolbachEpisode: "Split Ends"
2000 Batman Beyond Knux (voice)Episode: "April Moon"
2000 The Norm Show Dale StockhouseEpisodes: "Norm vs. Youth: Part 1" and "Norm vs. Youth: Part 2"
2004 LAX Leland PressmanEpisode: "Finnegan Again, Begin Again"
2005 My Name Is Earl ScottEpisode: "Stole Beer from a Golfer"
2005 Hope & Faith Jay3 episodes
2005 Peep Show Mark Unaired pilot
2006 American Dad! ArnieEpisode: "Irregarding Steve"
2006–2007 My Boys Trouty3 episodes
2007–2019 The Big Bang Theory Dr. Leonard Hofstadter Main role
2009 Family Guy Leonard Hofstadter (voice)Episode: "Business Guy"
2011 Entourage Himself3 episodes
2016 Lip Sync Battle HimselfEpisode: "Josh Gad vs. Kaley Cuoco" [26]
2018–2019 The Conners David HealyRecurring role (season 1–2); 4 episodes
Uncredited

Music videos

YearArtistSong
1995 Dave Matthews Band "Satellite"
2017 Badflower "Heroin"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
1992 Young Artist Awards Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series American Dreamer Nominated
1993Best Young Actor Recurring in a Television Series Roseanne Nominated
1994Best Youth ComedianWon
1995Best Performance: Young Actor in a TV Comedy SeriesNominated
1998Best Performance in a TV Movie or Feature Film – Young Ensemble (shared with the cast) I Know What You Did Last Summer Nominated
2008 TV Land Awards Innovator (Shared with Sarah Chalke, Sara Gilbert and Alicia Goranson)RoseanneWon
2010 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Male Scene Stealer The Big Bang Theory Nominated
2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
2012 Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical Nominated
Golden Nymph Awards Outstanding Actor in a Comedy SeriesNominated
Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (shared with the cast)Nominated
2013Nominated
2014Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Bromance (Shared with Jim Parsons, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg)Nominated
2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (shared with the cast)Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
2016 People's Choice Awards Favorite Comedic TV Actor Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (shared with the cast)Nominated
2017Nominated

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References

  1. ↑ "Johnny Galecki". TV Guide . Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Highest-Paid TV Actors 2018". Forbes . Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  3. ↑ Galecki, Johnny (May 3, 1992). "Johnny Galecki". The Sun Sentinel . Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Johnny Galecki Biography (1975–)". Film Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Conan Show Schedule January 2–6, 2012". Team Coco. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Johnny Galecki Biography". TV Guide . Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  7. ↑ Parsi, Novid (May 3, 2009). "Geek love". Time Out. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  8. ↑ "The Gnocchi from Skokie that Sang Karaoke". Conan . Season 2. Episode 103. June 13, 2012. TBS.
  9. ↑ "ZM's interview with Johnny". ZM Online. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  10. ↑ Gates, Anita (November 8, 2005). "WHAT'S ON TONIGHT". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  11. ↑ Fullerton, Huw (November 7, 2015). "Peep Show US pilot starring The Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki". Radiotimes.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Follow Spot". theatermania. October 29, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  13. ↑ Battaglio, Stephen; Schneider, Michael (August 26, 2013). "What They Earn". TV Guide . pp. 16 – 20.
  14. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (August 4, 2014). "'Big Bang Theory' Trio Inks New Deals, Securing Hefty Pay Raises". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  15. ↑ Petski, Denise (December 1, 2017). "'Roseanne': Johnny Galecki Set To Return As David For ABC Revival". Deadline. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ Parker, Ryan (May 29, 2018). "Roseanne Barr Apologizes for Racist 'Planet of the Apes' Tweet About Obama Adviser". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ Petski, Denise (September 25, 2018). "'The Conners': Juliette Lewis Joins Johnny Galecki In ABC's 'Roseanne' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  18. ↑ Takeda, Alison (September 13, 2013). "Sara Gilbert: I Realized I Was Gay While Dating Johnny Galecki" . Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  19. ↑ Morgan, Hudson (September 2010). "Justify Her Love". CBS Watch. Archived from the original on February 7, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Johnny Galecki On Family & His Life Upstate 01/05/12 – Video @". Teamcoco.com. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  21. 1 2 Gonzalez, Sandra (June 28, 2017). "Johnny Galecki loses ranch in sprawling California fire". CNN. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Hill Fire Incident Information". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  23. ↑ Bjornson, Greta (December 4, 2019). "Johnny Galecki and Girlfriend Alaina Meyer Welcome Son Avery: 'Full and Grateful Hearts'". People. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  24. ↑ Dugan, Christina; Nahas, Aili (November 30, 2020). "The Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki and Girlfriend Alaina Meyer Split". People. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Inside Johnny Galecki's Whimsically Gothic Nashville Mansion". Architectural Digest. February 7, 2024.
  26. ↑ Bueno, Antoinette (January 26, 2016). "Most Bizarre 'Lip Sync Battle' Ever? Josh Gad Makes Out With Johnny Galecki as Kaley Cuoco Watches". ET Online. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
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