Johnny Galecki Biography

JOHNNY GALECKI

Date of Birth: April 30, 1975

Johnny Galecki is an American actor and comedian who has been in the industry for over three decades. He first gained mainstream attention early on his career when was cast as David Healy in the long-running ABC sitcom Roseanne in 1992. However, it wasn't until he landed the lead role as the geeky Dr. Leonard Hofstadter in the hit comedy series The Big Bang Theory that he would become a major household name.

Johnny was born in Bree, Belgium, where his American father, Richard, was stationed as a member of the U.S. Air Force. His mother, Mary Lou, also an American, was a mortgage consultant. The eldest of three siblings, Johnny has a sister, Allison, and a brother, Nick. The family moved back to America to Oak Park, Illinois when Johnny was just three years old. Even at that tender age, he already knew he would one day be an actor, and quickly set about to become one.

At just seven years old, Johnny was already appearing in productions at Chicago's Goodman Theater. He continued working in theater and appeared in a string of television movies until 1988, when he made his feature film debut in the teen romantic comedy The Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, starring River Phoenix. He then landed a role as Billy Quinn in the fantasy drama Prancer (1989) alongside acting legends Sam Elliott and Cloris Leachman.

That same year, Johnny appeared as Chevy Chase's son Rusty in the popular comedy sequel National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, which is now heralded as a Christmas classic. Throughout the beginning of the 1990s, the young actor continued working steadily, landing roles in various television movies, as well as the series American Dreamer and Blossom. It was around this time that Johnny suffered a great loss — his father, who was then teaching blind veterans, died in a car accident.

Despite his personal tragedy, Johnny subsequently landed his biggest role to date in 1992 — the hit sitcom Roseanne. He starred alongside Roseanne Barr and John Goodman as David Healy, the main love interest of second Connor daughter Darlene (Sara Gilbert). He would stay on the show for six seasons, until its eventual end in 1997. He credited the series with honing his craft as an actor, telling People magazine, "In many ways, Roseanne was my college."

Following his stint on Roseanne, he was cast in several high-profile movies, most notably the mystery comedy Suicide Kings (1997), the teen horror flick I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), the comedies The Opposite of Sex (1998) and Playing Mona Lisa (2000), the romantic drama Bounce (2000), and the psychological romance Vanilla Sky (2001).

Johnny spent a lot of time working on various TV movies and series over the next few years, including LAX, My Name is Earl, Hope & Faith, American Dad! and My Boys. In 2007, Johnny earned a lead role on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, a show that would mark his two-decade-long career. Big Bang would go on to the become one of CBS' highest rated shows ever, and earn Johnny Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his role as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. Johnny told the AV Club in 2014 that he's learned a lot playing the role of a Caltech physicist, saying, "Scientists are not these guys in lab coats deep in the inner bowels of universities and hospitals with their Bunsen burners. They’re the people molding the culture that we live in, the future of our culture, and the technology we rely on every day. These are the rock stars of our time right now."

Although most of his time has been dedicated to the CBS sitcom, Johnny still managed to appear in a slew of television and film projects, such as the superhero comedy Hancock (2008) starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron, the sci-fi thriller In Time (2011) starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, and the musical drama CBGB (2013) alongside Alan Rickman and Malin Akerman.

While the talented actor can still be seen on The Big Bang Theory, he also stars as Gabriel in the horror remake Rings (2016) alongside newcomer Matilda Lutz.

Johnny previously dated his Big Bang Theory co-star Kaley Cuoco for two years, until the couple split in December 2009. However, they remain close. "We're dear friends, still," he told CBS Watch! magazine in 2013. "She's not an ex, she's a part of my life." He was then linked to actress Kelli Garner from September 2011 to August 2014. Johnny is a longtime vegetarian, and owns 360 acres of land in Santa Margarita, California.

Filmography:

Rings (2016)
The Master Cleanse (2016)
CBGB (2013)
In Time (2011)
Table for Three (2009)
Hancock (2008)
Happy Endings (2005)
Chrystal (2004)
Bookies (2003)
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Morgan's Ferry (2001)
Bounce (2000)
Playing Mona Lisa (2000)
The Opposite of Sex (1998)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Suicide Kings (1997)
Bean (1997)
In Defense of a Married Man (1990)
Blind Faith (1990)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Prancer (1989)
A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988)