The Real Reason The Big Bang Theory Star Johnny Galecki Disappeared From Hollywood
Johnny Galecki spent twelve years and twelve seasons starring on "The Big Bang Theory" as CalTech scientist Leonard Hofstadter. So where has he been since?
Apparently, Galecki — who got his start in small TV roles before joining the main cast of "Roseanne" as David Healy in 1992 — wasn't particularly comfortable in Los Angeles, which makes sense considering that he moved there at quite a young age. During a house tour with Architectural Digest in February of 2024, Galecki, who now lives in Nashville, admitted he was never particularly happy in Los Angeles.
"I never felt like much of an Angeleno," Galecki, who was born in Belgium and raised in Illinois, told the outlet. "And I did try. I say that with sadness, not with snobbery. Thirty years is just a very long time to live in a city that you're not all that comfortable in."
Galecki, who once dated his "Big Bang Theory" co-star Kaley Cuoco, is married to Morgan Galecki, and the two share a daughter; he also has one child from his previous marriage to Alaina Meyer. So why did the former sitcom star choose Nashville?
Nashville seemed like the perfect place for Johnny Galecki to truly settle down
As Johnny Galecki told Architectural Digest, he thought about living in many cities throughout the years, saying he ran through "many fantasies of living in all the places I would travel, from Austin to Reykjavík." Ultimately, Galecki chose Nashville, telling the outlet, "Everywhere I looked, around here, felt like the scene of a future memory." The reason for the profile was due to Galecki's incredibly unique, "whimsically gothic" house, designed by Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward. As Galecki also notes in the piece, the Architectural Digest interview was the first one he agreed to in years, and it was largely so that he could discuss his eclectic home.
According to the interview, the original structure of the house was built in the early 1800s, with many renovations throughout the years. The article really only delves into Galecki's work on the Nashville-area residence — it's apparently just outside of the city proper — but as fans of "The Big Bang Theory" know, Galecki was once a staple of one of the most famous and popular sitcoms of its era.
Johnny Galecki spent over a decade on just one show
Now that Johnny Galecki has (mostly) left Hollywood behind, it's easy to forget that he was one of the biggest TV stars around for twelve years. In fact, he was named the second-highest paid television actor in 2018 — behind his co-star Jim Parsons — thanks to "The Big Bang Theory," with an estimated salary of $25 million. In case you've been living in isolation for the past decade and are fully unaware of "The Big Bang Theory," here's why Galecki was so famous for so long.
From the beginning until the very end of "The Big Bang Theory," Galecki played Leonard Hofstadter, a brilliant experimental physicist who got a PhD at the age of 24 years old — and who happens to live with fellow prodigy and genius Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). Leonard and Sheldon may be best friends, but they often butt heads, especially when Sheldon does something socially awkward or out of turn (which he does all the time). When the gorgeous, extroverted Penny (Kaley Cuoco) moves in across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard, Leonard is immediately infatuated, even going as far to say that their babies would be "smart and beautiful." Eventually, the two get together, and Leonard and Penny's romance is one of the central parts of the entire series.
The point is, Galecki was an enormous part of "The Big Bang Theory," often feeling like an audience surrogate who could react to bigger personalities like Penny and Sheldon. It makes sense that Galecki is taking some time away from the industry — though he appeared in a few episodes of the "Roseanne" spinoff "The Conners — but his legacy as Leonard remains intact.
"The Big Bang Theory" is available to stream on Max now.