Johnny Galecki is a popular American actor, who gained widespread recognition for his role as a ludicrous theoretical physicist in the series "The Big Bang Theory". During the filming of TBBT, he earned 25 million dollars per year, consistently ranking at the top of the list of the richest actors according to Forbes.
American actor Johnny Galecki
Childhood and adolescence
John Mark Galecki was born in the small Belgian town of Bree, on the outskirts of which a NATO airbase was located at the time. His father, Richard Galecki, an Air Force officer, served there. His mother, Mary Lou, was a credit consultant. His paternal ancestors were Polish. From his mother, he inherited Irish and Italian blood.
Johnny Galecki as a child
When Johnny turned three, his parents returned to the United States and settled in the village of Oak Park in the suburbs of Chicago. Soon, the family increased: the boy had a brother, Nick, and a sister, Allison.
Johnny Galecki in his youth
Johnny grew up as an active and curious child, vividly interested in what was happening, easily making contact with those around him. At the age of seven, he first appeared on the stage of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and at eleven he was nominated for a prestigious theatre award. Unfortunately, he could not boast of such successes at school, and at fourteen, he quit studying and left home. By that time, he had already worked a lot in the theatre and on television and considered himself grown-up and independent enough to live separately from his parents.
Acting Career
Johnny first appeared in a movie at the age of twelve, playing a minor role in "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" (1988). His debut was successful: the young actor not only performed well on screen but also gained experience from Matthew Perry and River Phoenix, his colleagues on set. This was followed by a role in the feature comedy "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989) starring Chevy Chase.
Johnny Galecki's height is 5'5'
Then came the TV shows. After main roles in series like "American Dreamer" and "Blind Faith", Johnny successfully auditioned for the role of David in the TV show "Roseanne" (1992-97) which was already breaking all popularity records on American television. His performance was so well received by viewers and critics that his contract was extended until the sitcom's end.
Young Johnny Galecki in the series 'Roseanne'
During this time, Galecki also starred in the series "Blossom" (1991) thanks to his childhood friend, actress Mayim Bialik. Years later, Johnny returned the favor by recommending her to the producers of "The Big Bang Theory".
Johnny Galecki and Mayim Bialik in the series «Blossom»
In 1993, he appeared in the thriller "Suicide Kings", and a year later he won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor.
From this point, Galecki's already successful career began to take off rapidly. Despite not being offered leading roles, the films in which Johnny participated became global hits and box office leaders. These included famous movies such as "Bean" (1997), "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997), "Bounce" (2000), "Vanilla Sky" (2001), and many others.
Johnny Galecki in the movie 'Vanilla Sky'
But the highlight of his career was the role of physicist Leonard in the series "The Big Bang Theory". His sparkling duo with Jim Parsons, who played Sheldon, instantly won the hearts of viewers around the world, and the series gathered a multi-million audience for 12 seasons.
Johnny Galecki in the series 'The Big Bang Theory'
Interestingly, Johnny was originally supposed to play Sheldon, but he found Leonard's role more appealing. Parsons was only too happy – he was more interested in Sheldon.
The sitcom brought Galecki not only global recognition and nominations for the "Emmy" and "Golden Globe", but also substantial financial income. He earned about a million dollars per episode and is one of the highest-paid TV actors on American television.
Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons
While "The Big Bang Theory" was on, the actor rarely took on other projects. In 2008, Johnny was seen in the comedy "Hancock" alongside Will Smith, in 2011 he played himself in the series "Entourage" and participated in the sci-fi thriller "In Time" with Justin Timberlake in the leading role. In 2017, viewers could appreciate the actor's skills in the horror film "Rings", the third part of the famous franchise by Javier Gutiérrez.
Johnny Galecki in the movie 'In Time'
Galecki left the theatre in 2007, last delighting his fans with a striking role in the Broadway play "The Little Dog Laughed". For this work, Johnny was nominated for a Tony Award.
Personal Life of Johnny Galecki
In "The Big Bang Theory", the young scientist Leonard, portrayed by Galecki, falls in love with his neighbor Penny, played by actress Kaley Cuoco. As often happens, the on-screen romance soon spilled over into real life, and the young couple even planned to marry like their screen characters.
Johnny Galecki dated Kaley Cuoco, who played Penny
Unfortunately, this did not happen, and after two years of romantic dating, the couple broke up. Johnny and Kaley managed to maintain a warm relationship; they continued to work together and spent a lot of time together. In 2013, Cuoco even invited her ex-lover to her wedding with Ryan Sweeting.
Johnny did not remain single for long: from 2012 to 2014, he dated actress Kelli Garner, and in 2018, there were rumors about his romance with singer Naomi Robin. The actor played the drums in Naomi's band and periodically posted pictures together on social media.
Johnny Galecki and Naomi Robin
However, in November 2018, Johnny appeared publicly with 21-year-old Alaina Meyer. They walked arm-in-arm down the red carpet at the People's Choice Awards. In November 2019, the couple had a son named Avery.
Johnny Galecki and Alaina Meyer
A year after the birth of their son, Johnny and Alaina broke up. For the sake of their son, they maintained a friendly relationship.
Johnny Galecki with his son
The actor is not in a hurry to start a family, devotes a lot of time to painting, and prefers to relax on his secluded ranch in California. In 2017, the estate suffered severely from a forest fire, but the actor did not wish to leave his favorite places and restored the ranch within a year.
Johnny Galecki Now
In 2018, the creators of "The Big Bang Theory" announced that the 12th season would be the last one. Since the show's finale, Johnny Galecki has been a rare sight on screen. Over the past few years, he's played a supporting role in the series "The Conners" (2018) and appeared in the family movie "A Dog's Journey 2" (2019). The money he earned from years of filming "The Big Bang Theory" is enough for him to live comfortably and spend time with his only son.
