Johnny Galecki Explains His Biggest Regret Filming Christmas Vacation

Johnny Galecki starred in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when he was young and despite getting to be a part of one of the most memorable holiday movies ever, he still harbors a big regret about making the film. Christmas Vacation is one of the most enduring Christmas movies of all time and underneath Clark Griswold’s cynical sarcasm, slapstick physical comedy, and over-eager eggnog imbibing, there’s a heartwarming story about family and the holiday spirit. While things may not go Clark’s way, he still manages to find meaning in his family being together.

One of these family members is Rusty, Clark’s son, and like Audrey, is played by a different actor in this movie. In fact, the Griswold kids changed actors for each Vacation movie. In Christmas Vacation, he’s played by Johnny Galecki, best known as Leonard Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory. Rusty is a sweet-natured kid who is more than happy to help his father set up for Christmastime. Such an important film with so many stars of the era, including Chevy Chase as Clark, should have been the experience of a lifetime, but Galecki recalls one thing that irks him.

Johnny Galecki Regrets Not Shooting A Father-Son Scene With Chevy Chase In Christmas Vacation

It’s A Staple Of Every National Lampoon Movie

According to Johnny Galecki in an interview with Rolling Stone that saw the return of Christmas Vacation‘s cast, he talked his way out of what could have been a special scene with Chevy Chase. Screenwriter John Hughes, Chase, and director Jeremiah Chechik were all chatting with Galecki one day on set when Chase wondered aloud why there was no father-son scene in Christmas Vacation; every other previous film had one. Hughes said he had one that didn’t make the final script but could easily be rewritten. While Chase was game, Galecki confesses he was not,

“So they asked what I thought and I said, ‘I don’t think there’s any point. Somebody thought it was worth taking out at some point, so even if we shoot it, it’ll probably get taken out again.’ I literally talked myself out of what could have been a classic scene with Chevy Chase. Now that I’m a jaded Hollywood f**k, I realize the error of my ways. I still kick myself in the ass for this everyday.”

Galecki was 14 at the time of filming, so he can’t really be blamed for not having the foresight to realize how great it would be to share a one-on-one scene with one of the biggest comedy stars of the era, but it sure would have been great to see. It would have fit perfectly in the scene where Rusty helps his father unpack the Christmas lights from the garage, “It’s a lotta lights, Dad.”

Clark does find the Christmas spirit himself, but if he talked with Rusty, it could have signified that he was also passing down a love for the holiday to his children, and made his success in the end more impactful.

Galecki’s Acting Career Soared Despite Not Filming The Christmas Vacation Scene

He Became A Sitcom Icon With The Big Bang Theory

Each Vacation movie had a different actor playing Rusty​​​​​​. Anthony Michael Hall, Ethan Embry, and Jason Lively have all taken up the mantle, but Galecki’s post-Vacation career may be the most notable. That’s saying something considering the long careers those other three also went on to have. Galecki went on to appear in many notable films soon after Christmas Vacation​​​​​​, including Bean as Stingo Wheelie and I Know What You Did Last Summer as Max Neurick.

Later, Galecki went on to have his career-defining roles in the TV sitcom landscape, first at David Healy in Roseanne and then, even more importantly, as Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, a performance that earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. With such a successful career after Christmas Vacation, Galecki has no reason to have regrets. He was simply a teenager, and anyone in a similar position could easily have said the same when talking to three of the most important people in Hollywood at the time.