We all fell in love with the fumbling, wheezy, nerdy Leonard Hofstader in The Big Bang Theory. His patience with Sheldon's quirks, his devotion to Penny, his smart-aleck comebacks, and his comic book obsession. Leonard became the loyal friend and roommate we all wished we had.
Well-known for his role as Leonard Hofstader, Johnny Galecki isn't a newbie in television or Hollywood. He has a lifetime of experience that led him to the role that made him a household name. Looking back on his life, we see the path that led him to the cemented position in the history of television.
8 Childhood
Though Galecki is an American citizen, he was actually born in Bree, Belgium. His father, a member of the U.S. Air Force, was stationed there during the time that Galecki was born. At the age of three, the family moved back home to Chicago, where his mother was a mortgage consultant and his father taught blind veterans at the VA hospital.
7 Early Career
We all have a childhood dream of what we would become as an adult. Some want to be astronauts, others want to be President. Johnny Galecki wanted to act. According to a statement made by his mother, Galecki told her, "Mom, I'm gonna be on T.V., and I don't mean when I grow up."
Two years later at the age of six, Galecki went to his first open audition. Reportedly, his parents tried to distract him with sports, but to no avail. That year he landed his first role in the musical Fiddler on the Roof in Chicago. That would start a chain reaction that led to him being a well-known name on the Chicago theater scene by the age of 11.
6 Breaking Into Hollywood
Only three years after becoming a regular on the Chicago theater scene, he found himself in his first Hollywood movie role in Prancer. As great an accomplishment this was, it wouldn't be his big break. That is attributed to his role in a Christmas classic.
In 1989, Galecki was cast as Chevy Chase's son in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Bringing in more than $71 million in the domestic box office, the off-beat comedy became a staple of the holiday season for millions of fans. During his time playing Rusty, Galecki was able to learn insider tricks to comedic timing from Chevy Chase himself, who took a liking to Galecki.
5 Moving to Los Angeles
With this new success, the Galecki family made the decision to move to Los Angeles, but quickly realized they missed the Windy City and went back to Chicago. To pursue his career, Galecki stayed in Los Angeles, under contract for a show with Robert Urich called American Dreamer. The 15-year-old was living on his own in a big city.
While many 15-year-olds would take advantage of the freedom and use it as an excuse to live wild and free, Galecki was said to be quite tame in his studio apartment. He avoided the party scene and instead focused on his acting. Later, he would describe the experience as "not fun" and "intimidating."
4 Tragedy
The Galecki story is not without its share of tears. When Galecki was 16, he received the news that his father had died in a car accident. Coincidently, his eventual costar Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, also lost his father at a young age.
Leading experts say losing a parent at a young age like Galecki and Parsons is one of the most traumatic experiences a child can have. Children who experience the death of a parent are more likely to have mental health issues, issues in school (including less success and a higher likelihood of dropping out), lower self-esteem, and engaging in risky behavior.
Despite the statistics, it appears Galecki managed to cope with the death of his father, focusing his attention on acting and going on to have more high-profile roles.
3 Rising Star
In 1991, Galecki was cast as Roseanne Barr's son in the TV movie Backfield in Motion. Barr liked Galecki so much she went on to ask him to do an appearance in her popular sitcom. This singular appearance turned into a recurring role. John Goodman, who played Roseanne Barr's husband on the sitcom, said "If he was one of those little stuffed bears at a carny, hed have a 'Wuv Me' t-shirt on. People just want to take care of him."
Following this role, a number of others came his way, including:
- Suicide Kings (1997)
- The Opposite Sex (1997)
- Norm (1999)
- Bounce (2000)
- Bookies (2003)
- Hope and Faith (2003)
- My Name is Earl (2005)
- My Boys (2006)
2 Becoming Leonard Hofstadter
One of the former producers of Roseanne was Chuck Lorre. During his time on the sitcom, he got to know Galecki. At the time that Lorre was looking to cast The Big Bang Theory, Galecki had shifted his attention to training to be a plumber. Of that time, he told Larry King on Larry King Now, "I was in Wisconsin at the Kohler plant when I got a call to come and guest star on something and then that led to my Broadway debut and then while I was there, Chuck called about Big Bang."
When casting was first being discussed, Galecki was originally wanted for the role of Sheldon Cooper. Galecki explained that he felt more comfortable as Leonard and that he wanted to try a role with more romantic possibilities, making him a sure bet for the role of Leonard.
1 Today
Today, Galecki enjoys his life and his hobbies. As a self-professed "motorcycle nerd," he rides a Harley Davidson Softail Delux. Because he believes "we should never stop learning," he spent time learning to play the cello in his early twenties and embraces world travel, painting, music, and hiking, especially with his dog, Vera.
In November 2019, Galecki became a father when he and his girlfriend, Alaina Meyer, had their first child, a boy they named Avery. In 2018, Galecki tried his hand at producing with a CBS sitcom Living Biblically that unfortunately didn't catch on.
On his 360 acres of land in Santa Margarita, California, he has vineyards and a log cabin, perfect for a retreat from the public eye. Today, we can assume he's enjoying a well-deserved break and waiting for the next big thing.