Johnny Galecki became a household name when he starred as Leonard Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory. Playing a physicist who tries to up his social hierarchy by including his attractive neighbor in his group of other scientists, Galecki starred in the show for all twelve seasons and was one of TV’s highest-paid actors.
However, the actor has barely been in many films despite hitting it big on TV. The actor has had small roles in films and has also worked less since the end of TBBT. Galecki confessed that he found the audition process grueling and that he would usually think of someone better to play the role, which annoyed his agent.
Johnny Galecki Fumbles Auditions In A Way That Drives His Agent Crazy
Johnny Galecki made being nerdy the new sexy with his co-stars Jim Parsons, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg in the show The Big Bang Theory. The sitcom was a huge success upon release and lasted twelve seasons, with Galecki garnering a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for his role.
However, since the show ended, he has not worked as frequently. In fact, his last significant role was in the same year as TBBT’s finale, where he reprised his role as Dave in the Roseanne revival show called The Conners. He was also seen in the film A Dog’s Journey.
The reason may be hidden in this answer he gave to Larry King on his show Larry King Now. Galecki mentioned that he usually annoys his agents by going to auditions and telling them who would be better instead.
You know what I do often and it drives my agent crazy? I’ll go in and I’ll tell them what other actor will be really good for the role. I really don’t have a competitive streak at all.
The episode was aired nine years ago, implying that he used to do this even when he was still employed on The Big Bang Theory.
Johnny Galecki Admitted That He Was Not Desperate For A Role After The Big Bang Theory
At the height of its success, The Big Bang Theory’s cast members were some of the highest-paid TV actors in the business. According to Forbes, Jim Parsons topped the list in 2018 and took home a paycheck of $26.5 million before taxes, while Johnny Galecki stood second with a $25 million payday.
Hence, the actor possibly did not need to work as much following the show’s end in 2019. Compared to his co-stars like Parsons who has starred in films and shows like The Boys in the Band, Hollywood, and Spoiler Alert, Galecki has not featured in as many roles. He revealed to Larry King that he was not desperate for roles.
I’ve always liked reading. It’s an opportunity if you’re not desperate for next month’s rent. It is an opportunity to go and perform for three minutes…when you’re not desperate auditioning can be fun. Otherwise, it’s an awful process.
According to Forbes, the main cast of the show reportedly earned $1 million per episode until they decided to take a $100,000 pay cut to boost up Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch’s salaries.
The Big Bang Theory is currently streaming on Max.
