Johnny Galecki rose to fame with roles in Roseanne, The Big Bang Theory and more — but he has since stepped back from acting.
After appearing in theater productions as a child, Galecki made his acting debut in the 1987 miniseries Murder Ordained. He went on to star in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Billy and Head of the Class, making a guest appearance on Blossom before joining ABC’s Roseanne.
Galecki played David on Roseanne until the show originally ended in 1997. The actor’s career continued with roles in I Know What You Did Last Summer, Hope & Faith and My Boys, but it was The Big Bang Theory that helped him become a household name.
From 2007 to 2019, Galecki played Leonard on the hit CBS sitcom. He also reprised the role of David in the short-lived Roseanne revival and later The Conners before his onscreen appearances began to fizzle out.
Following his move from Los Angeles to Nashville, Galecki has not booked new roles since 2019. Instead, Galecki has been focused on raising his kids — a son with Alaina Meyer, born in 2019, and a daughter with wife Morgan Galecki, born in 2024.
“I never felt like much of an Angeleno,” he told Architectural Digest in February 2024. “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.”
The actor acknowledged his departure from the public eye, adding, “I think this is the first interview I’ve agreed to do in almost four years, and it’s purely because I’m excited to rave about [my design team] Emily and Louisa.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Johnny’s rise to fame — and a glimpse into his life now:
What Led to Johnny’s Departure From Hollywood?
After The Big Bang Theory came to an end, Johnny made appearances on The Conners as David. His last movie role before leaving Los Angeles was in 2019’s A Dog’s Journey.
Off screen, Johnny announced the arrival of his first child, a baby boy, with Meyer in December 2019. News broke in November 2020 that the pair split after two years of dating. Johnny revealed in Architectural Digest’s March 2024 issue that he secretly wed Morgan, with whom he shares daughter Oona.
“It’s an incredible day when you are making memories with your children that you could have only dreamed of when you were little,” he wrote via Instagram in September 2024 after a visit to Disneyland in California. “Thank you to everyone.”
Has Johnny Appeared in Any Projects Since Then?
Despite being a consistent presence on Roseanne and briefly on The Conners, Johnny didn’t return for the final season in April 2025, which affected how his character David was written.
“Because we didn’t have him so much, we had to make him a terrible father,” executive producer Dave Caplan told Deadline, with EP Bruce Helford adding, “He really did not want to keep doing it. He loved us and we loved him, and he was always invited and we’re all very close with him.”
Johnny’s decision not to reprise the role caused David’s story to shift.
“We were kind of in a position where, how do you explain this guy without killing him? This guy isn’t around,” Helford noted. “So unfortunately his character got tarnished in that way. Had he been there, he would’ve definitely been part of the Mark story, for sure.”
Caplan added: “The last time Johnny was here, he really went out of his way to say how much he loved not only the legacy of the show, but what we’re doing with The Conners. He’s a big fan, and he loved being on the show. But real life tends to take priority, and if he needs to step away, we all respect that.”
Johnny left Hollywood right before COVID hit. He settled in Tennessee after being located in California for 30 years, which he made a rare comment about in 2024, telling Architectural Digest, “Everywhere I looked, around here, felt like the scene of a future memory.”
Since his move, the TV star has kept a low profile. He was photographed arriving at Ryman Auditorium in 2023 for the Lyle Lovett concert in Nashville, but he hasn’t made more public appearances.
According to his social media, Johnny has been enjoying life away from Los Angeles while focusing on raising his kids. He made a surprise onscreen appearance in an April 2025 ad for the mobile game Royal Kingdom with Kaley Cuoco after they played love interests on The Big Bang Theory (and secretly dated in real life from 2008 to 2010).
“Though l’ve done my best to assure @kaleycuoco that comparing the amount of Likes we have each received from our exciting new @royalkingdom ad is irrelevant, knowing her as long as I have I understand that this perfect and inescapable example of the vast and glaring disproportion in our likabilities must have Kaley in her doldrums,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “If you only do one good deed today, please add to Kaley’s likes on her ad. Deep down, she’s a terrific person. If for no other reason, do it for me, who you actually do like. Thank you from the bottom of my overflowing-with-likes-heart. #likesforkaley.”
Johnny was also involved in producing a medical drama for ABC based on J.D. Kleinke‘s book Catching Babies.
