After making his TV debut at the age of 12 in Murdered Ordained and his first big screen appearance in 1989’s Uncle Buck, the 90s saw Johnny Galecki starring in several more sitcoms. However, it wasn’t until his gig as Leonard in The Big Bang Theory that the actor garnered worldwide recognition, which pushed Galecki to stardom.
But prior to landing his breakthrough role, Galecki came close to retiring from acting altogether after his career hit a roadblock following his decision to hit the road for an entire year.
Johnny Galecki’s Road Trip Almost Derailed His Hollywood Career
Back in the mid-2000s, Johnny Galecki opted to take a break from showbiz and decided to hit the road for around 6-12 months. However, this ended up having repercussions on his career, as during his appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, the actor recalled he didn’t have opportunities after he came back from his prolonged road trip.
He recalled:
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.
Upon struggling to find steady work, Galecki considered switching careers and acted on his friend’s advice to learn plumbing and eventually get into designing spas and bathrooms. Fortunately, during his time in Wisconsin to learn plumbing, the Roseanne star secured a role in Hope & Faith and later landed the part of Leonard in The Big Bang Theory and the rest is history.
Johnny Galecki Is Enjoying His Life Outside of Hollywood
Despite popping to stardom following his tenure in the acclaimed sitcom, Galecki has pretty much disappeared from the public eye and is enjoying his unofficial retirement from Hollywood. The actor, who is a father to two kids and is married to Morgan Galecki, loves to keep his private life away from the public eye.
But his departure from Hollywood wasn’t sudden, as the actor was planning on leaving Hollywood for quite a while and finally fulfilled his dream after he purchased a house back in 2018. He said:
I never felt like much of an Angeleno. 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.
As for his future in showbiz, it can’t be said for certain if we’ll see Galecki return anytime soon in the realm of acting, as the actor seems content with devoting his time to his family.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
