Leo (That '70s Show)
| Leonard "Leo" Chingkwake | |
|---|---|
| File:Leo (70s show).png Tommy Chong as Leo | |
| First appearance | Sleepover |
| Last appearance | That '70s Finale |
| Created by | Mark Brazill |
| Portrayed by | Tommy Chong |
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Leonard Chingkwake[citation needed] (born August 24, 1924[citation needed]) is a character on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. Played by Tommy Chong, an iconic actor associated with the stoner culture of the 1970s, he was most commonly referred to as Leo. His full name is unknown, but in Season 8 of the show, it's revealed that Leo's full first name is "Leonard." The character is an aging hippie and the owner of a Foto Hut at which Steven Hyde worked. Leo himself does not have a strong work ethic, often putting play before work and maintaining an easy-going attitude in all things, business included.
Appearances
Leo is introduced in the episode "Sleepover." In his first scene in the show he interviews Hyde for a job at the Foto Hut. Leo asks, "You like photos man?" and, Hyde says yes, and Leo gives him the job. He doesn't interview anyone else because no one else showed up.
In the episode "The Battle of Evermore," after Leo had been absent from the show for several episodes, Hyde receives a letter from Leo that explains that he was supposed to be in town to buy some gas and stayed for eight years instead. He goes on to say that, given the time elapsed, he needs to get back in touch with his wife.
Leo returns to the show in the episode "Down The Road Apiece" after nearly a three season absence. Leo is reintroduced when he finds Eric Forman on a road trip. Shortly after their meeting, Hyde has Leo manage the record store owned by Hyde's father. Hyde takes over when Leo fails at the job.
After Ashton Kutcher failed to renew his contract for the 8th season, the show was without a resident idiot, so Leo began to take on a more major role in that capacity.
Personal
Leo is a very confused individual, possibly because of his drug use. In the episode "Who Wants It More?", he finds Hyde, Fez and Michael Kelso looking for UFOs. Hyde asks Leo what he is doing. Leo responds with, "Wow, that's a really good question man!", and does not know the answer. In the same episode, Leo says that he once saw a UFO at a football game that told him to have a good year (actually the Goodyear blimp). A further indicator of Leo's confusion is when he says, "He's making us look bad in front of the boss!" at the Foto Hut, forgetting that he is the boss. In one episode, he also reveals that he thinks he met God on the bus, who told him the meaning of life and gave him a pretzel. Leo forgot the meaning of life, but says it was a pretty good pretzel.
Leo has a bad memory. When he and Hyde are reunited, for example, Leo does not remember that he owned a Foto Hut. It is revealed in the episode "Stone Cold Crazy" that drugs can refresh Leo's memory.
In the episode "Reefer Madness", when Hyde was accused of possession of illegal drugs, Leo revealed to Red Forman that he has indulged in the use of marijuana once or twice himself. Red was unsurprised.
Veteran status
In the episode "Long Away," Leo reveals that he is a war veteran and fought in World War II. Curiously, he also mentions spending much of the Vietnam War in Canada, even though his status as a WWII veteran would make him legally exempt from the draft. However, this could be attributed to Leo's bad memory or confusion, or maybe he just happened to be in Canada. His veteran status was hinted at because Leo was often seen wearing dog tags. In the episode "Eric and Kitty's Night Out" Leo, while playing a game of Battleship, suspects that he might have been in the Navy.
Family
Leo has a cousin named Theo, (played by Richard Karn) who is a contractor, as well as a cousin Eli (played by Bobcat Goldthwait) and a cousin Larry. Leo also has made reference to a "big brother" that likes to interfere with his business (when Leo told Hyde this, Hyde thought Leo was referring to the government, but then Leo said he literally meant his big brother). Leo also has a dog (Dr. Zhivago) that Leo once accidentally fed illegal drugs instead of dog food (Ice Shack). A similar event occurred in Cheech and Chong's Up in smoke, where Chong's character (Anthony Stoner) said his dog ate some of his drug stash.
Work ethic
In one episode, Hyde and Leo are playing The Game of Life at the Foto Hut when a customer requires attention. Leo tells Hyde that if he helps the customer, he will (ironically) be fired. In another episode, Leo temporarily hires Fez, but then fires him when he displays a stronger work ethic than either Leo or Hyde.
Age and birthday
Though Leo's age is not specifically mentioned in any episode, since he fought in World War II, he must have turned eighteen by 1945, which means he was probably born before 1927, though underaged combatants are not unheard of. One episode mentions Leo's Zodiac sign is (predictably) Leo, which would make his birthday between July 23 and August 22. Another episode mentions Leo's Zodiac sign as Aquarius.