Luke Duke
Lukas K. "Luke" Duke is a
fictional character in the
American television series The Dukes of Hazzard which ran from
1979 to
1985. Luke was played by
Tom Wopat in the original television series. Luke, and his cousin
Bo Duke live in an
unincorporated area of the fictional
Hazzard County, in
Georgia. Luke and Bo own a 1969 Dodge Charger, nicknamed
The General Lee, which is painted orange, with the
Confederate Flag on top, and
01 painted on the sides. Luke and Bo evade the corrupt politicians of Hazzard County, such as
Boss Hogg and
Rosco P. Coltrane.
The Dukes family, including cousin
Daisy and
Uncle Jesse, is well known for their role in the
moonshine business among other interests. Bo and Luke had both been sentenced to
probation for illegal transportation of moonshine. As a result, neither are permitted to use firearms, instead preferring to use
bow and arrows. It should also be noted that the terms of Bo and Luke's probation included staying within the boundaries of Hazzard County (unless given special permission by their Probation Officer,
J.D. Hogg).
Of the two Dukes boys, Luke was generally considered to be the more "cool-headed" one. Luke was older, and somewhat more mature than his cousin Bo. He usually thought his way through situations that arose, in contrast to Bo, whose actions were much more precarious. However, when it came to fisticuffs, Luke was generally the more skilled fighter of the two. Where Bo was the one known to get the two into trouble, Luke was the one who usually got them out of it. Luke was the more physical one, often performing stunts like jumping onto moving cars during high speed chases. In one episode, Bo mentions that Luke had served in the
U.S. Marine corps.
Luke's famous "hood slide" (as seen in the opening credits) is the trait most commonly associated with the character. Actor Tom Wopat said that the move actually originated when he was trying to vault over the car to get to the passenger side and his foot accidentally caught the edge of the hood, causing his leg to slide across it. The move eventually caught on and became the character's hallmark.
Despite being quite a skilled driver, Luke rarely ever drove
The General Lee; he usually preferred to ride
shotgun, while Bo chose the driver's seat.
Luke later left Hazzard County, along with his cousin Bo, to join the
NASCAR circuit (they both returned the following year).
Luke Duke was later played by
Johnny Knoxville in the subsequent
cinematic version.
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