Tommy Chong played prominent character Leo Chingkwake in That '70s Show. The easy-going hippie first appeared in Season 2, Episode 8, "Sleepover," going on to star in a total of 39 episodes throughout the series' run. However, Leo mysteriously and abruptly disappeared after Season 4. It turns out, Chong got caught up in some legal troubles, leading to his character's absence for two seasons.

Who Was Leo on That '70s Show?

In Season 2, Steven Hyde happened upon a photo shop and decided to try his luck landing a job. Here, he met Leo. Leo was an older hippie and owner of the store, which was named The Foto Hut. After a quick interview in which the only question Leo asked Steven was, "You like photos, man?" he gave him the job. Over time, Leo became like a second father to Steven.

Leo was everything someone might expect from a character in a show set in the '70s. The hippie was an easygoing war veteran, who sported a long, scraggly hairstyle and facial hair to match and admitted to using substances from time to time. Interestingly, Tommy Chong shared some similarities to his character — similarities that led to incarceration and absent from That '70s Show for Seasons 5 and 6.

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Why Tommy Chong Disappeared Suddenly From That '70s Show

Chong was the perfect casting choice for Leo in that he was associated with the stoner culture of the '70s. An actor and musician, he is known for his stoner/hippie roles and his music is even drug-themed, too — marijuana is the subject matter of his Cheech & Chong comedy albums. Additionally, Chong was a cannabis rights activist. But things went a little too far when the actor/musician became a person of interest in two investigations involving drugs.

It was discovered that Chong had been involved in trafficking bongs. The actor admitted to selling 7,500 bongs through Nice Dreams, a company in Paris started by his son. Chong argued for community service but was sentenced to nine months in prison and a fine of $20,000.

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After Tommy Chong served his time, the actor returned to That '70s Show for Seasons 7 and 8. Unfortunately, he continued to deal with more controversies, mostly stemming from his arrest and association with the drug world. Fans created the "Free Tommy Chong!" movement in protest of what they believed was the law's mistreatment of the actor. Chong also lost acting opportunities and had another run-in with the law when his property was raided and thousands of copies of his then yet-to-be-released documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong, was confiscated.

Ultimately, the actor returned as Leo on That '70s Show for Seasons 7 and 8. Since Ashton Kutcher's Kelso exited the show around this time, Leo filled his spot as the nonsensical, foolish character.

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