by Zak Stemer |
Johnny Galecki of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Photo: Timothy White
Chicago native Johnny Galecki on his rise from outcast kid to the star of TV’s biggest show.
On CBS’ mega hit “The Big Bang Theory,” Johnny Galecki plays Leonard Hofstadter, a genius experimental physicist who spends his days tinkering with hi-tech lasers and his nights playing Dungeons & Dragons with his close-knit gang of socially awkward, super-geek scientist friends and his bombshell girlfriend (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting).
In real life, Galecki is having trouble figuring out how to work his cellphone.
“Hold on, I’m getting … argh … I think it’s a voicemail?” he says mid-interview, laughing. I hear a series of beeps, followed by an exasperated sigh. “That’s how much of a genius I am. I don’t even know how to work my own phone.”
Lack of tech prowess aside, Galecki, 39, isn’t too dissimilar from the uber-nerdy character he’s portrayed for the last seven years (the series’s eighth season starts Sept. 22) on “Big Bang.” “At its core, the show is about the underdog, and that’s universally relatable,” he says. It’s something Galecki understands firsthand. Though a look at the show’s 20 million viewers, the cast’s reported $1 million-per-episode salary and Galecki’s Emmy nomination might lead you to believe he’s always been on top, early on, the Oak Park native’s passion for acting turned him into something of a social pariah.
“Growing up in Chicago I was a theater nerd,” he admits. “That might be very cool on the East Coast, but in Chicago it’s really the athletes that come in No. 1 on the cool scale. Maybe musicians after that. Community theater? That’s way down the list, my friend.”
Full Article – We bring you the photos, all from Timothy White, here from the full article.
Johnny Galecki Photo: Timothy White
