It’s a rare occurrence when an actor finds themselves portraying the same character for over a decade. But that was the reality of Johnny Galecki, who donned the spectacles and many clothing layers of senior experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter on “The Big Bang Theory” for 12 seasons. At the time, Galecki was no stranger to being part of a long-running sitcom. Throughout the ’90s, he appeared on “Roseanne” as David Healy, the love interest of Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert). However, his time on “Roseanne” (93 episodes over the span of six seasons) was nothing compared to “The Big Bang Theory,” which ran for a record-breaking 279 episodes from 2007 until 2019.

Galecki showcases the intricacies of Leonard over the course of the series, from the dynamics of his unorthodox friendship with Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) to the maternal love he craves from his psychiatrist mother Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski). And, of course, there’s the evolution of his relationship with crush-turned-wife Penny (Kaley Cuoco). By the series finale (“The Stockholm Syndrome”), Leonard is in a good place. He’s made amends with Beverly, received proof from Sheldon that their friendship is meaningful to him, and is fulfilling his longtime dream of welcoming a child (who will be smart and beautiful) with Penny.

But what about Galecki? Was he, too, in a good place in the years that followed Leonard’s send-off? Read on to learn what Galecki has been up to since the finale of “The Big Bang Theory.”

After his relationship with Alaina Meyer came to a close, Johnny Galecki turned to a friend to help get his mind off things: country musician Randy Houser. In January 2020, Galecki and his mother, Mary Lou Galecki, introduced Houser on stage at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. In October of that year, as the world still reeled from the COVID-19 pandemic, Galecki shared an adorable photo of the two dads and their kids enjoying a sunny autumn day at a pumpkin patch, with Galecki referring to Houser as his “#unlikelypal.” 

Additionally, Houser helped Galecki tap into his musical side. A talented drummer, Galecki learned to set aside his shyness on stage and occasionally join Houser on a few tour stops. In fact, his drumming skills can be heard on the demo version of “No Stone Unturned,” the first song off Houser’s 2019 album “Magnolia.” 

That spur of the moment opportunity came when Galecki stayed with Houser and his wife Tatiana Starzynski in Nashville for a weekend. When his guest asked what he was working on, Houser played “No Stone Unturned” with just a click track. Houser said during an iHeartRadio performance, “I didn’t even know he played drums. I was like, ‘What the…?’ … I had this little set of drums set up and he said, ‘Well, give me some sticks.'”

Aside from his limited appearances on “The Conners,” Johnny Galecki hasn’t set foot in front of a camera since the end of “The Big Bang Theory,” essentially disappearing from Hollywood. That’s because, after 12 years, Leonard’s mannerisms were so ingrained in Galecki’s acting performance that it would have been impossible for him to immediately take on a new role and not carry over some of the character.

He said in “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series” by Jessica Radloff, “One of the reasons I kind of have been staying out from in front of the camera is I’m still kind of bleeding Leonard out of my system. Because these characters … they stay with you for a while.”

Plus Galecki truly enjoyed his 12 years as Leonard, which would have made a quick transition into another character even harder. In an interview with Larry King, he revealed that the show’s co-creators, Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, initially envisioned him as Sheldon. However, upon reading the first few pages of the script, he felt drawn to Leonard. “I hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to play, not that Leonard’s a love interest, but the love interest, someone who’s struggling with that territory of the heart,” he said. “I was cast as the love interest’s best friend or gay assistant generally.”

Though Johnny Galecki’s relocation to Los Angeles as a teenager was a solo endeavor, this wasn’t the case for his Nashville move. By his side was Morgan Galecki, whom he privately married on an undisclosed date. He first posted images of Morgan on his Instagram in January 2023, as part of a series of photos from their trip with Orbison to Walt Disney World. Johnny captioned the post, “#absolutehappiness Thank you to Mickey & gang for a magical post-holiday holiday.”

A little over a year later, the Galeckis welcomed their first child together: a daughter named Oona Evelena. Morgan was pregnant at the time of the couple’s Architectural Digest photo shoot in early 2024, and gave birth not long after, also on an undisclosed date.

Similar to how he handled his relationship with Alaina Meyer and the birth of Orbison, Johnny has worked to keep his home life with Morgan and Oona out of the public spotlight. However, he does share the occasional glimpse into his life and happiness as a husband and father, whether it be cute Instagram posts like the Disney one or the rare interview.

Without the stress of a weekly sitcom on his plate, free from the pressure of memorizing lines and embodying a globally-loved character, Johnny Galecki is able to dedicate his full focus to something else: being a good father and introducing his son to as many fulfilling experiences as possible. Though he shields Orbison from the public eye, even hiding his face in social media posts and having him wear a rabbit mask for the Architectural Digest photo shoot, Galecki shares occasional updates about their father-son adventures, which range from typical outings to spending time with one of the top rock bands in the world.

In December 2021, Galecki took Orbison to see some holiday lights. He captioned a post of the two standing under a lit-up canopy, “Let it snow. With my best friend, Orbison Galecki.” In a March 2022 post, Orbison can be seen taking in the world of art, as he stands in front of a Vincent Van Gogh piece.

Then, in August 2022, this duo got an opportunity that every emo kid of the early 2000s would pay top dollar for: attending My Chemical Romance’s soundcheck at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Galecki captioned the post, “…an extra heartfelt thank you to @gerardway for the shout-out to both Orbie and I during last night’s absolutely incredible show.” Galecki and MCR’s Gerard Way actually go way back, with Way once interviewing Galecki for YRB Magazine.

On June 1, 2020, a few days following the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, peaceful protestors gathered at the plaza between St. John’s Church and Lafayette Park in Washington, DC. However, they were ejected from the area with tear gas by the U.S. Park Police and National Guard. Shortly after their removal, then-President Donald Trump stood in front of the church with a Bible, with many reports claiming the protestors were forcibly removed so that he could reportedly stage a photo opp.

Johnny Galecki, who had been making his disapproval of Trump and his voters known for several years prior to the St. John’s incident, took to Instagram to express his many thoughts on the situation. He said, in part, “We need understanding. And compassion. And trusted leadership. Not your irresponsible and thoughtless, extremely dangerous threats and your pathetic and impotent bullying … I’m sincerely convinced at this point that this unstable person will not be satisfied until he creates another civil war.”

Galecki continued to be a vocal critic of Trump throughout his term in office, while also posting remarks on such events as school shootings and the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018.