'The Big Bang Theory' actor talks about juicing, learning to love exercise, and the big 4-0.
By Elizabeth B. Krieger
WebMD Magazine - Feature
Born in Belgium but raised in the heart of the American Midwest, it’s only fitting that actor Johnny Galecki, 39, has found a home in millions of Americans' living rooms -- first as David on the groundbreaking show Roseanne, and now on the wildly popular series The Big Bang Theory, which returns this fall for its 8th season on CBS. Galecki reveals his next big health challenge, how being gentler on yourself is better, and why he’s traded racing a Hog for riding a tractor.
1. You were still a teenager when you were on Roseanne. Did any of the plot situations mirror stuff going on in your own life?
Aging Is a Real Pain in the Neck. . .
Mark Liszt, a food broker from Los Angeles, has had operations on both knees and a toe. A doctor has suggested a total replacement of his right knee, but he’s afraid it will affect his ability to play ball. At 59, Liszt can’t stop. On Tuesdays and Fridays, he plays basketball with guys who are sometimes half his age. On Saturday, he hobbles around all day with serious knee pain. Friends and family have referred him to doctors, but he’s stayed away. “I don’t want to be told what a fool I am,” he says...
It was actually the opposite for me. I had just moved to L.A. without family and my life was all about getting my bearings as an adult, while I was playing a teenager. But I remember watching the pilot with my family in Chicago and feeling like they were peering in our window -- that's how realistic the show was in many other ways.
2. Are you anything like your super-brainy character, physicist Leonard Hofstadter, on The Big Bang Theory?
The writers do pick up on things and work them into the characters, whether it's dynamics between us actors or other stuff. But in terms of my IQ and Leonard's? I'm not telling. I did take an online IQ test years ago -- twice. I'm not revealing the score, but there was a huge discrepancy between the results.
3. What about Leonard's many health issues?
Nope, I come from fairly hardy stock. I do have terrible eyesight though, so I truly need those glasses.
4. You bought land on a vineyard outside of L.A. Is this your retreat?
Totally. It's a great place to get away from the madness of L.A. At first, owning the property was intimidating. I was a city kid and I travel a lot. But I feel like the place marks a new beginning for me. I even have a tractor!
5. What's your worst health habit?
Smoking. It's a tough one, but I have a plan in motion to quit and I am excited about it. I've tried [quitting] before but never felt this hopeful or ready.
6. Do you have a fitness routine?
It wasn’t easy, being from the Midwest, where there really wasn't a lot about health or fitness being taught. No one in my family went for a jog or had a gym membership. For a long time, I actually looked down on exercising, [thinking] it was a bourgeois thing for fortunate people who hadn't been wrecked by blue collar jobs. Today is another story. I love the elliptical machine.
source : Q&A With Johnny Galecki
