Tommy Chong’s first appearance in Point Place, Wisconsin seems like it was yesterday to the successful comic. If you remember Chong as Leo, the stoner who owns the Foto Hut on That ’70s Show, then you’ll have another chance to see him pass it around with his old friends from the show on the reboot series That ’90s Show. It was reported in May that he will be returning to the Netflix series, and Variety was able to speak with him about what it was like to reprise the popular character. With his laid-back demeanour and wisdom, Leo served as something of a father figure to Danny Masterson’s Steven Hyde at the Foto Shop in That ’70s Show.
It wasn’t until he realised he was a WWII hero that his terrible memories made him one of the town’s most enigmatic residents. On the other hand, once he hitched a ride with several musicians on the way home, he developed a hippie personality and a fondness for marijuana. On-screen, he was a constant source of amusement since he was always incoherent and stoned at the same time. If it wasn’t for Kitty, “It might have been yesterday,” Chong said to Variety when she knocked on the door. In addition to Chong, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, who portrayed the original Red and Kitty, both reprised their roles and seeing them again transported him straight back to the days of portraying Leo in the original series.
Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Topher Grace, Wilmer Valderrama, and Laura Prepon are all returning to Point Place, as are Ashton, Mila, Topher, and Laura. As a result of several, legitimate assault charges against Masterson, he will not be returning to the WWE ring. Chong began to doubt his own chances of returning to the programme after watching so many of his former co-stars get the call. According to him, he “heard” that the system will be rebooted, but he never received a call. “How do I know what’s going on in this place? When the call came, we were ready to go straight away and begin shooting.” That ’70s Show fans would be hard-pressed to envision their favourite show without him. Following Kutcher’s departure, Leo became a more prominent presence on the programme, filling in for Kutcher as the show’s dumb comedic relief. On a more lighthearted side, he also told Variety that he’s a big fan of a good prank. “The money is nice.”
Chong hasn’t been as busy as he was when he toured with Cheech Marin, but he’s still managed to get a few roles in. Alien Danger! starred the Up in Smoke actress most recently. With Raven Van Slender, however, he also has important roles in Color Out of Space and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot in 2019. A new generation of Point Place youngsters starring Callie Haverda as Eric and Donna’s daughter Leia Forman will benefit from his wisdom with That ’90s Show.
That ’90s Show has yet to announce a launch date.