Johnny Galecki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Galecki
Galecki in 2017
Born	John Mark Galecki (1975-04-30) April 30, 1975 (age 50) Bree, Limburg, Belgium
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	Morgan Galecki ​ (m. 2024)​
Partner(s)	Alaina Meyer (2018–2020)
Children	2

John Mark Galecki (born April 30, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Leonard Hofstadter in the TV show The Big Bang Theory. He also played David Healy in the sitcoms Roseanne and The Conners.

Johnny Galecki has won a Satellite Award. He has also been nominated for other big awards like a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He was one of the highest-paid TV actors in the world for his role in The Big Bang Theory.

Early life

Johnny Galecki was born in Bree, Belgium. His parents were American. His family has roots from Poland, Ireland, and Italy. His mother, Mary Lou, was a mortgage consultant. His father, Richard, was in the U.S. Air Force in Belgium. He also worked as a teacher.

Galecki is the oldest of three children. He has a sister named Allison and a brother named Nick. He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. He left school after 8th grade. He only attended high school for one day.

He once shared a story about his childhood. As a kid, he loved making up long stories. His mom would make him play the "quiet game" to see how long he could stay silent. He said his mom was loving but also very strict. She would often say, "I love you, now get out."

Career highlights

Johnny Galecki in July 2008

Johnny Galecki started acting in Chicago theater when he was young. His first TV role was in the 1987 miniseries Murder Ordained. In 1989, he played Rusty Griswold in the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

In 1990, he joined the TV comedy American Dreamer. The next year, he was a regular on the show Billy. In 1991, he appeared in an episode of Blossom. There, he acted alongside Mayim Bialik, who would later be his co-star in The Big Bang Theory.

Playing David Healy in Roseanne

While working on Billy, Galecki started guest starring on the popular show Roseanne. He played David Healy, the boyfriend of Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert). His character became very popular. After Billy was canceled, he became a full-time cast member on Roseanne in 1992.

He stayed on Roseanne until it ended in 1997. His character, David, eventually married Darlene and they had two children. Later, on The Big Bang Theory, Galecki's character also had a brief relationship with Sara Gilbert's character.

From movies to The Big Bang Theory

After Roseanne, Galecki had small roles in movies like Bean (1997) and Vanilla Sky (2001). He had a bigger role in the 2003 film Bookies. He also appeared in a 2005 episode of My Name Is Earl.

He played a character named Trouty on the TV show My Boys. He also played Jay, the half-brother of the main characters, in Hope & Faith.

Johnny Galecki at PaleyFest 2013

From 2007 to 2019, Galecki starred as Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This show was one of the most popular TV comedies in the US for many years. He was first asked to play Sheldon Cooper. But he felt he was a better fit for Leonard. The role of Sheldon went to Jim Parsons.

During the show, two of his former Roseanne co-stars appeared. Sara Gilbert played Leslie Winkle, Leonard's colleague. Laurie Metcalf played Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mother. Johnny Galecki can play the cello, and this talent was used in the show.

Galecki also had a small part in the 2008 superhero movie Hancock. In 2011, he played a funny version of himself in three episodes of Entourage. He also appeared in the movie In Time (2011).

Return to The Conners

In 2018, Galecki appeared in one episode of the Roseanne revival. The show was later canceled. It was replaced by a new show called The Conners. This new show had the same cast but without Roseanne Barr. Galecki has appeared as David on The Conners from time to time.

Personal life

When he was a teenager, Johnny Galecki dated his Roseanne co-star Sara Gilbert. They also played a couple on the show. They are still very good friends today.

While working on The Big Bang Theory, Galecki dated his co-star Kaley Cuoco for about two years. Their characters were also a couple on the show. They ended their relationship in 2009 but have remained good friends.

Galecki owns a large piece of land in Santa Margarita, California. It has vineyards and a log cabin. In 2017, his ranch was damaged by a big wildfire. He said that living in such a beautiful area was worth the risk of wildfires.

In 2018, Galecki started dating Alaina Meyer. Their son was born in November 2019. They separated in November 2020. He is now married to Morgan Galecki. Their daughter was born in 2024.

Selected filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Galecki para niños