“I Thought My Career Was Over”: Johnny Galecki Nearly Quit The Big Bang Theory
In an interview, Johnny Galecki recalls a health scare during The Big Bang Theory that made him think it was curtains for his career — and nearly walk.
During a visit to his sister in Chicago in 2011, Johnny Galecki suddenly lost movement on his right side and panicked that he was having a stroke. On the ride to the hospital, he phoned series co-creator Chuck Lorre with a plan in case he couldn’t return to work as Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory , as detailed in Jessica Radloff’s behind-the-scenes book about the show.
“My sister burst into tears, and as we were on our way to the hospital, I called Chuck and told him I was paralyzed on my right side. I said, ‘I’m going to help you recast my role, and I would love if you would also consider me for a staff writing position on the show.’”
Doctors determined it wasn’t a stroke but Bell’s palsy, a temporary condition that affects facial muscles. Galecki recovered and stayed on the series through all 12 seasons, with the production quietly tweaking camera angles and other filming techniques while he regained facial strength.
Galecki’s account appears in Radloff’s The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, which chronicles major moments from the set and the cast’s personal lives during the long-running sitcom.
Parsons on pressure
Elsewhere, Jim Parsons has spoken about the weight of the show’s success on his mental health. In an interview on All Out with Jon Dean, the four-time Emmy winner said he struggled to enjoy career highs because of the pressure he put on himself.
“I look back now and realize that there were many ways, at some of the best moments of my life, I was miserable. I was not happy. I was stressed.”
Parsons said much of that anxiety came from perfectionism—feeling like everything had to be just so before he could even start his day’s work—and added that he wouldn’t relive that period despite the extraordinary success it brought.