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10+ Random Things About Johnny Galecki Fans Didn't Know

Johnny Galecki has been making a big bang in Hollywood ever since he became a child star.

His first notable roles were as Rusty on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and as David in the sitcom Roseanne.

And then, of course, there was Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory.

Career aside, it's time to get to know this actor.

1. He was a child actor:

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He was quite the busy kid, as he took on many roles.

His first role was a TV appearance on the CBS miniseries, Murdered Ordained. Next, he landed roles on short-lived sitcoms, such as American Dreamer and Billy.

2. He has two brothers:

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Both are younger. When the actor was on Conan, he even said that his brothers are probably embarrassed by his occupation.

Gasp! "I think he finds it emasculating," he said about his one brother who works in the auto industry.

3. He knew Mayim Bialik before they starred on *The Big Bang Theory* together:

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They were both on the hit '90s sitcom, Blossom, and even shared a kiss together! (Sorry, Sheldon).

He also knew Sara Gilbert from his Roseanne days.

"It might have been my first real-life kiss also," Bialik admitted on *Conan*.

Of course, this led their costars to urge them to recreate the kiss.

If you want to see it in all its awkward glory, here it is.

4. He auditioned for a role in *Clueless*:

A lot of big names auditioned for a chance to be in the iconic film. For instance, Sarah Michelle Gellar was up for the role of Amber.

Alongside Johnny, Dave Chappelle; Angelina Jolie; and Norman Reedus also auditioned.

5. He dated Kaley Cuoco after meeting her on the set of *The Big Bang Theory*:

CBS

The pair may have dated for two years during the show, but it was kept secret.

It was only after they broke up that they admitted their romantic history.

Of course, as you can imagine, their breakup made filming those bedroom scenes pretty awkward.

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"We were a little like, ‘We were trying to end the relationship and it kept falling back in,'" Kaley told Haute Living.

In the end, they were able to defy the odds and become close friends.

6. He was on the sitcom *Roseanne*:

He played David Healy until the sitcom came to an end in 1997.

While he wasn't largely part of the show's revival, he did come back for one episode to reprise his role.

The revival has since been canceled after the show's lead, Roseanne Barr, sent out a racist tweet.

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Galecki was not impressed with this.

"That first day when that horrible, horrible tweet of hers went out, I was angry, and not just ‘cause it was such a fiercely, ugly thing to say," he told Buzzfeed.

"But I knew that they were gearing up to do [...] another year on the show and how many other people's jobs that affected and put into danger."

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He continued: "Then I was worried, because honestly I don’t know her to be a person that would say such a thing."

7. He plans to stay close to his *Big Bang Theory* costars forever:

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The ending of the popular sitcom has come and gone, but the friendships remain.

"It will never be fully eclipsed. We will always be associated with one another. It’s such an incredibly unique experience that only the seven of us can really understand having," Johnny told Entertainment Weekly.

He even compared them to the cast of *Friends*.

"You can talk about the cast of Friends, but this is different in its own way. There is no one else but this circle of seven that can even pretend to relate."

8. He was on *National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation*:

Yep, he really has been acting for a long time. He starred as Rusty, the family's son.

He even reunited with the Griswolds at a special screening of the classic film last year.

9. He has a son:

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In December 2019, he and his girlfriend, Alaina Meyer, welcomed their first child together.

His ex, Kaley, was over the moon for him: "He's always wanted to have a baby so I think this was really exciting for him,” she told US Weekly.

10. He once had sex in his *Big Bang Theory* dressing room:

Talk about making a big bang.

The actor made the shocking confession during a lightning round of questions with the show's cast on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

11. He was the second-highest paid actor on TV in 2018:

While his costar, Jim Parsons, led with $26.5 million, Galecki wasn't too far behind with $25 million, according to Forbes.

Now that the show is over, though, these numbers are bound to be different once a new list comes out.

12. He almost gave up acting:

CBS

This was right before he landed the role on The Big Bang Theory.

He told Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa, “I took six months or a year off just to road trip and whatnot, not realizing that you grow cold fast in this business."

"After that time off, I came back and I didn’t have the opportunities that I thought would still be waiting for me.”

He continued: "I thought, ‘Okay, well, I was a child actor and that’s gone away.’ That’s fine; I was at peace with that. But what’s next?”

13. He studied to become a plumber:

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He took on the career path after he struggled to find work as an actor.

But it was while he was in school in Wisconsin that he got the call about The Big Bang Theory.

14. He is glad *The Big Bang Theory* was able to shed a light on "nerdom."

However, he wants it to be known that the show should not take full credit.

But the show did serve as an important tool in shedding light and making people understand that we all have to be more accepting of one another.

15. One of the most important things to him is telling people how he really feels.

CBS

"Being a good communicator. Being considerate and fair. I place a lot of importance on those things because they deserve a lot of importance and attention and energy. That’s what I value."

"You get to a certain point — gratefully — when you’re out of your twenties, and you realize how fleeting life is. So, it becomes important to feel as if the people in your life know exactly how you feel about them at all times."

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"Ten years is too damn long to spend in one’s twenties," he told The Huffington Post.

16. He actually wanted to play Leonard because of the love story.

He thought their relationship was so profound, fun, and interesting that it made him want to get the part.

It was a nice departure from his past roles and he knew it would be a fun challenge for him.

17. Jim Parsons said that he and Galecki had an instant connection when they met.

Considering that, it is easy to see why their chemistry on-screen is fantastic.

In fact, their TV friendship is definitely going to go down in history as one of the best.

18. He owns a vineyard.

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He has admitted that owning it has allowed him a great escape from the pressures of Hollywood.

Getting out to the countryside was the easiest way for him to give himself a new beginning.

19. He once thought working out was something only meant for the rich.

In fact, his exact words to WebMD were:

"No one in my family went for a jog or had a gym membership. For a long time, I actually looked down on exercising, [thinking] it was a bourgeois thing for fortunate people who hadn't been wrecked by blue collar jobs."

But that all changed once he had to get in shape for a role back in 2006.

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"I had a hardcore, twice-a-day regimen. Becoming committed to that changed everything for me. Now I consider exercise more about mood moderation than vanity. There's not a bad mood that I can't fix with 20 minutes on the elliptical," he said.

20. He also loves to do yoga.

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He has spoken about the amazing health benefits that yoga has given him, both mentally and physically.

He is definitely not the only celebrity who loves yoga! Many boast about the positive aspects of the activity.

21. He admitted to WebMD that he does, in fact, have a health philosophy.

"People need to be gentler with themselves. Instead of beating yourself up for eating or drinking too much, I believe you need to coddle that side of yourself. Be kind and gentle -- like you would with a loved one. Otherwise it could be a lifelong pattern of self-loathing and neglect. And I think that's how people end up very sick."

22. He used to spend his free time riding motorcycles.

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But once he started getting very famous, he put those bikes on the sidelines, since he knew the responsibility he had on his shoulders.

That is definitely the smarter decision to make!

Do you know any other interesting and random facts about Johnny Galecki?

Or were you quite shocked by all the things you learned about him in this article?

Either way, let us know down below in the comments! We would love to hear from you!