John Mark "Johnny" Galecki (born April 30, 1975) is an American actor who is best known for his roles as David Healy on Roseanne and The Conners also his role as Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS-TV sitcom series The Big Bang Theory from 2007 to 2019.
Early life[]
Born in Bree, Belgium to American parents of Polish/Irish and Italian descent, Johnny's mother, Mary Lou (née Noon), was a mortgage consultant, and his father, Richard Galecki (now deceased), was a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Belgium and also worked as a rehabilitation teacher.[1] Galecki has a younger brother, Nick, whom he describes as a "mechanical genius" in the automotive industry,[2] and a younger sister, Allison.[3] Galecki grew up in Oak Park, Illinois.[4]
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."[5]
Career[]
Galecki made his 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. One of his best known roles was as David Healy (first introduced as Kevin Healy) in the U.S. sitcom Roseanne. He also appeared in the 1995 music video for the Dave Matthews Band song "Satellite". Galecki was cast in the 1997 summer slasher filmI Know What You Did Last Summer and the 1998 dark comedy The Opposite of Sex. In the year 2000, He reunited with Opposite of Sex director Don Roos, who cast him in Bounce.
Johnny formerly plays the role of Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, which debuted September 24, 2007. He was originally asked to play the role of Sheldon Cooper, but he said he was better suited for the role of Leonard Hofstadter. Two of his former Roseanne cast members have appeared on the show. During his role as David, Sara Gilbert played the role of his longtime girlfriend and later wife, Darlene Conner. She also appeared as Leslie Winkle, a colleague. Laurie Metcalf, formerly cast in the role of Roseanne's sister Jackie Harris has appeared as Mary Cooper, mother of Leonard's roommate, Sheldon. Galecki is a cellist, a talent which has been used on the show. As of August 2013, Galecki and his costars Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons, each earn $325,000 an episode.[6] The series ended on May 16, 2019.
In 2018 Galecki will be an executive producer in CBS sitcom Living Biblically and on April 19, 2018 it was pulled off the schedule and later cancelled.
Galecki appeared briefly in the 2008 superhero comedy Hancock, alongside Will Smith and Jason Bateman. In July 2011, Galecki 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 only one episode in the revived Roseanne series due to his contract with The Big Bang Theory and CBS. The revival was cancelled early, but he later reprised his role in the spin-off series The Connors.
Personal life[]
He owns 360 acres of land in Santa Margarita, CA. There are vineyards on his property and also a log cabin. He is a vegetarian.[7] While working on The Big Bang Theory, Galecki dated co-star Kaley Cuoco for two years,[8] just as their characters dated each other also on Big Bang and Roseanne for a time. The two remain on good terms.
He is a long-time motorcycle enthusiast.
As of September 2018, Galecki is dating Alaina Meyer.
On May 3, 2019, Galecki and Meyer announced that they were expecting their first child together. Later that month, it was revealed the couple are expecting a boy. They have a son named Avery was born in December 2019.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Johnny Galecki Biography (1975–), Filmreference.com, first accessed 2011-07-06.
- ↑ "Conan Show Schedule January 2–6, 2012". Team Coco. Retrieved 2012-01-01.]
- ↑ Johnny Galecki Biography, TV Guide.com, accessed 2011-07-06.
- ↑ The Gnocchi from Skokie that Sang Karaoke Conan TBS TV series, first aired June 13, 2012, Season 2, episode 103.]
- ↑ ZM's interview with Johnny, by ZM Online.com, accessed 2011-07-06.
- ↑ Battaglio, Stephen; Schneider, Michael (August 26, 2013). "What They Earn". TV Guide. pp. 16 - 20.
- ↑ Johnny Galecki On Family & His Life Upstate 01/05/12 – Video @, Teamcoco.com, accessed 2012-03-04.
- ↑ [Kaley Cuoco reveals she secretly dated 'Big Bang Theory' co-star Johnny Galecki for two years, by Caroline Culbertson, [1], NY Daily News.com, accessed 1 October 2010.]
External links[]
- Johnny Galecki at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- Johnny Galecki on The Big Bang Theory Fandom
- USA Today article from 1998
- Playbill article about the end of The Little Dog Laughed's run at The Cort Theatre
- Movieline interview with Johnny Galecki