Tommy Chong
Encyclopedia
Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American
comedian
, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician
who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie
-era stoners. He is most widely known for his involvement in the marijuana
-themed Cheech & Chong comedy movies with Cheech Marin
, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox
's That '70s Show
.
, Canada
, the son of Lorna Jean Gilchrist, a waitress of Scots-Irish ancestry, and Stanley Chong, a Chinese
truck driver who immigrated to Canada from Guangdong province, China in the 1920s, where he first lived with his aunt in Vancouver
. While he was still young, his family moved to Calgary, Alberta to a conservative neighborhood Chong refers to as the Dog Patch. He says that his father had "been wounded in World War II
, and there was a veterans' hospital in Calgary. He bought a five-hundred dollar house in Dog Patch, and raised his family on fifty dollars a week." He later dropped out of Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, Alberta. “I dropped out of Crescent Heights High School when I was 16 but probably just before they were going to throw me out anyway,” Chong
laughs as he reminisces about his early years. “I played guitar to make
money. I was about 16 when I discovered that music could get you laid,
even if you were a scrawny, long-haired, geeky-looking guy like me.”
Revue, which had never been to Vancouver before. Although Little Daddy & The Bachelors built up a small following, things soured when they went with Chong's suggestion and had themselves billed as "Four Nigger
s and a Chink
". (or, bowing to pressure, "Four N's and a C") before taking on the moniker Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
.
In 1965, the Vancouvers signed with Gordy Records (a subsidiary of Detroit, Michigan
's Motown Records
) and recorded its debut album, an eponymous release, and their debut single, the Tommy Chong co-composition "Does Your Mama Know About Me," peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100
. While on tour in Chicago for a short time, the band followed opening act The Jackson 5
. Chong later referred to the young Michael Jackson as a "cute little guy". After the band released two further singles, Tommy Chong and Wes Henderson were fired by Clark and Motown producer Johnny Bristol
for missing a gig to apply for Green cards. The group broke up shortly afterwards, when Chong attempted to have the Vancouvers' contract halved, so that he, Taylor, and Henderson would constitute the group, while other members would simply be regarded as sidemen and session artists.
Cheech & Chong, while a very successful comedy act, experienced creative differences and split in 1985. This was devastating to Chong. To him, Cheech Marin
was "closer than a wife. The only thing we didn't do was have sex." Of their split, he says, "It was like a death in the family. I don't know if I'll ever get over it". Chong was a recurring character and later a regular character as the hippie "Leo
" during the second, third, fourth, seventh, and eighth seasons of That '70s Show
. He also played a role as a hippie in Dharma and Greg.
In a 2001 episode of That '70s Show, "Canadian Road Trip", Chong gave tribute to his home country by joining in a spirited rendition of O Canada
along with the teenage cast and two Canadian border patrol guards (Joe Flaherty
and Dave Thomas
).
Chong was originally going to voice the character of Shenzi the hyena in the Disney film The Lion King
, which would have had him performing once more with Cheech Marin
, who voiced Banzai. (The Shenzi character was later changed to be female, and voiced instead by Whoopi Goldberg
.)
In September 2005 a/k/a Tommy Chong
premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
. The documentary, produced, written and directed by Josh Gilbert, chronicles Chong's comedic and personal history, and his prosecution by the Justice Department
. The project features interviews with Cheech Marin, Bill Maher
, George Thorogood
, Peter Coyote
, Lou Adler
, Eric Schlosser
and Jay Leno
.
In 2011 he appeared in an ironic role as a Judge in an episode of Franklin & Bash
, who took an extremely strict position on a marijuana holder.
and Rae Dawn
. He married his second wife Shelby Fiddis
in 1975. He has three children with her, sons Paris and Gilbran, and a daughter, Precious Chong. He is also the adoptive father of actor Marcus Chong
.
Robbi, Rae Dawn, Marcus and Precious have pursued careers in acting. In the late 1980s, Chong became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Chong is a marijuana activist and is a supporter of marijuana legalization and medical use of marijuana. He is a regular contributor to Cannabis Culture Magazine
and sits on the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) advisory board.
and Operation Headhunter, which sought out businesses selling drug paraphernalia
, mostly bong
s. Operation Pipe Dream was run from Pittsburgh. US Attorney for Western Pennsylvania
, Mary Beth Buchanan
oversaw the case. The estimated cost of Operation Pipe Dream was over $12 million and included the resources of 2,000 law enforcement officers.
Chong was charged for his part in financing and promoting Chong Glass/Nice Dreams, a company started by his son Paris. Chong’s case never went to trial; instead Chong accepted a plea agreement with the United States Attorney for Western Pennsylvania's Office in which he admitted to distributing 7,500 bongs and water pipes on the Internet through Nice Dreams, a family company that was named for one of his movies. Chong agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia in exchange for non-prosecution of his wife, Shelby, and his son, Paris. Chong fully cooperated with the government and was the first of the Operation Pipe Dreams defendants to plead guilty.
At Chong’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania, Mary McKeen Houghton stated in her sentencing arguments that Tommy Chong "used his public image to promote this crime" and marketed his products to children. U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan
also was present at the sentencing in Pittsburgh and released a statement to the press stating, "there are consequences for violating the law, even if the violator is a well-known entertainer like Thomas Chong."
While Chong argued for community service and home detention at his sentencing, the district judge, Arthur J. Schwab, denied his requests and sentenced him to 9 months in federal prison, a fine of $20,000, forfeiture of $103,514, and the loss of all merchandise seized during the raid of his business. Chong served his sentence at the Taft
Correctional Institution from October 8, 2003 to July 7, 2004.
The entire episode was chronicled in a/k/a Tommy Chong
, the 2006, award-winning documentary by Josh Gilbert
. The documentary premiered theatrically at the New York Film Forum
in New York City, in 2006.
as saying the Chong family was shocked by the raid. "We've done everything the right way, and the government is saying there is no right way," Knight said. Soon afterwards, civil rights advocates started the Free Tommy Chong! movement that called for his release. The controversy over Chong’s prosecution centered on the rationale behind focusing on Tommy as opposed to his son, Paris, the disparity in sentences that Tommy Chong received compared to other defendants, and the tactics that the DEA used in carrying out the investigation.
Paris, Tommy’s son, had started Nice Dreams in 1999. At the time of the allegations in the indictment, Paris was the CEO of the company that was the center of the investigation. Paris was never charged with a crime in relation to the investigation. When asked why the government had focused on Tommy as opposed to the company’s CEO, Paris, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan responded that “Tommy Chong was the more responsible corporate officer because he financed and marketed the product.”
Of the 55 people targeted in the investigation, Chong was the only one without previous convictions who received jail time. When questioned on the disparity between sentences/fines that the other 54 individuals received compared to Chong, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan stated, "He (Tommy Chong) wasn't the biggest supplier. He was a relatively new player, but he had the ability to market products like no other."
In investigating the operations of Nice Dreams, federal agents posed as head-shop owners from Pittsburgh’s suburban Beaver County
and pled with Paris to sell them his pipes through the mail to a fictitious shop in suburban Beaver Falls
. Paris had set in place a company prohibition against selling to Pittsburgh or anywhere in Western Pennsylvania
. The prohibition was put in place in response to the successful federal prosecution of Akhil Kumar Mishra and his wife, Rajeshwari, whose two head shops sold drug paraphernalia in the city’s downtown. To date, it is unclear how the prohibition was broken and there exist differing accounts as to who broke the company policy which resulted in the action that brought about the ability of the US Attorney to argue that jurisdiction for the crime rests in Pittsburgh opposed to California, the base of operations for Nice Dreams. Tommy Chong has stated publicly that it was a Federal Agent posing as an employee of his son's company who accepted and processed the order that resulted in the prosecution.
, a parody of Eve Ensler
's The Vagina Monologues
. His legal concerns, including members of the audiences smoking marijuana, ultimately caused him to cancel the show. In 2006, Chong wrote a book about his experiences in jail and his interest in meditation, called The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint (ISBN 1-4169-1554-0).
In 2010, Chong appeared at a Democratic Party
fundraiser in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, where the United States Attorney
who prosecuted him, Mary Beth Buchanan
, was running for the United States House of Representatives
as a Republican
.
, an investigation being led by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Mary Beth Buchanan
. The investigation targeted companies that sell so-called "masking products" that are supposed to help drug-users pass employer drug tests. There is, however, no federal law barring such products; they are regulated on a state-by-state basis. Of the nine search warrants issued, none were for businesses within Buchanan's district.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, in executing their search warrant, the federal agents seized 8,000-10,000 copies of the yet-to-be released documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong
. It has yet to be determined why the DVDs were seized during the raid. Furthermore, Chong has stated he has not been charged with any crime. In a statement released to the press, Chong stated "[The seizure of the DVDs is] a way to punish the distributor financially. There's no way to get the DVDs back until the investigation is over." Chong also stated that he has no ownership of the film, a/k/a Tommy Chong.
In retraction of its original story, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated, "8,000 to 10,000 copies of a Tommy Chong documentary were not seized in the raid. Instead, an "undisclosed number of DVD was taken". The government is not required to disclose why the DVDs were taken as the raid was part of "an ongoing investigation". This story as originally published May 11, 2008 was amended."
, in a South Park
episode called Cherokee Hair Tampons
, where they played fictional versions of themselves pretending to be Cherokee
herbalists
. In mid-2008, Cheech & Chong reunited and started touring. The tour is called "Light Up America and Canada" and "The Felimony Tour," which references the expenses both have recently incurred – Chong's losses related to his conviction for his involvement in his son's water pipe business, and Cheech's recent divorce and subsequent alimony payments. In October 2008, they appeared on The Opie and Anthony
Show, The Howard Stern Show and The Ron and Fez
Show on SIRIUS/XM Satellite Radio
. On March 1, 2010, they hosted WWE Raw
in Oklahoma City
.
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
-era stoners. He is most widely known for his involvement in the marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
-themed Cheech & Chong comedy movies with Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
.
Early life
Chong was born as Thomas B. Kin Chong in Edmonton, AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the son of Lorna Jean Gilchrist, a waitress of Scots-Irish ancestry, and Stanley Chong, a Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
truck driver who immigrated to Canada from Guangdong province, China in the 1920s, where he first lived with his aunt in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. While he was still young, his family moved to Calgary, Alberta to a conservative neighborhood Chong refers to as the Dog Patch. He says that his father had "been wounded in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and there was a veterans' hospital in Calgary. He bought a five-hundred dollar house in Dog Patch, and raised his family on fifty dollars a week." He later dropped out of Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, Alberta. “I dropped out of Crescent Heights High School when I was 16 but probably just before they were going to throw me out anyway,” Chong
laughs as he reminisces about his early years. “I played guitar to make
money. I was about 16 when I discovered that music could get you laid,
even if you were a scrawny, long-haired, geeky-looking guy like me.”
Entertainment
By the early 1960s, Chong was playing guitar for a Calgary soul group called The Shades. The Shades moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the band's name changed to "Little Daddy & The Bachelors". They recorded a single, "Too Much Monkey Business" / "Junior's Jerk". Together with bandmember Bobby Taylor, Chong opened a Vancouver nightclub in 1963 called the Blue Balls, formerly the Alma Theatre. They brought in the Ike & Tina TurnerIke & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...
Revue, which had never been to Vancouver before. Although Little Daddy & The Bachelors built up a small following, things soured when they went with Chong's suggestion and had themselves billed as "Four Nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
s and a Chink
Chink
Chink, chinki, chinky or chinkie is a pejorative term referring mainly to a person of Chinese ethnicity but sometimes generalized to refer to any person of East Asian descent...
". (or, bowing to pressure, "Four N's and a C") before taking on the moniker Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers were a soul band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Briefly signed to Motown Records in the late 1960s, they had one top 30 hit single, "Does Your Mama Know About Me". As a producer and solo artist, Bobby Taylor contributed to several other soul recordings, both inside...
.
In 1965, the Vancouvers signed with Gordy Records (a subsidiary of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
's Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
) and recorded its debut album, an eponymous release, and their debut single, the Tommy Chong co-composition "Does Your Mama Know About Me," peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. While on tour in Chicago for a short time, the band followed opening act The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
. Chong later referred to the young Michael Jackson as a "cute little guy". After the band released two further singles, Tommy Chong and Wes Henderson were fired by Clark and Motown producer Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol , was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
for missing a gig to apply for Green cards. The group broke up shortly afterwards, when Chong attempted to have the Vancouvers' contract halved, so that he, Taylor, and Henderson would constitute the group, while other members would simply be regarded as sidemen and session artists.
Cheech & Chong
Tommy Chong directed four of their films, while co-writing and starring in all seven with Cheech Marin.Later career
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
was "closer than a wife. The only thing we didn't do was have sex." Of their split, he says, "It was like a death in the family. I don't know if I'll ever get over it". Chong was a recurring character and later a regular character as the hippie "Leo
Leo (That '70s Show)
Leonard King Mickey "Leo" Chingkwake is a fictional character on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, portrayed by Tommy Chong. 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...
" during the second, third, fourth, seventh, and eighth seasons of That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
. He also played a role as a hippie in Dharma and Greg.
In a 2001 episode of That '70s Show, "Canadian Road Trip", Chong gave tribute to his home country by joining in a spirited rendition of O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
along with the teenage cast and two Canadian border patrol guards (Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
and Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)
David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E. Thomas, attended Duke University and earned a PhD in Philosophy. Thomas attended George Watts and Moorehead elementary schools...
).
Chong was originally going to voice the character of Shenzi the hyena in the Disney film The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, which would have had him performing once more with Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
, who voiced Banzai. (The Shenzi character was later changed to be female, and voiced instead by Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
.)
In September 2005 a/k/a Tommy Chong
A/k/a Tommy Chong
a/k/a Tommy Chong, written, produced, and directed by Josh Gilbert, is a documentary film that chronicles the Drug Enforcement Administration raid on comedian Tommy Chong's house and his subsequent jail sentence for trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia...
premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
. The documentary, produced, written and directed by Josh Gilbert, chronicles Chong's comedic and personal history, and his prosecution by the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. The project features interviews with Cheech Marin, Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
, George Thorogood
George Thorogood
George Thorogood is an American blues rock vocalist/guitarist from Wilmington, Delaware, United States, known for his hit song "Bad to the Bone" as well as for covers of blues standards such as Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" and John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie/One Bourbon, One Scotch, One...
, Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
, Lou Adler
Lou Adler
Lou Adler is an American record producer, manager, and director.-Life and career:Adler was born in Chicago, Illinois in December 1933, and raised in East Los Angeles. In 1964, Adler founded and co-owned Dunhill Records. He was President of the label as well as the chief record producer from 1964...
, Eric Schlosser
Eric Schlosser
Eric Schlosser is an American journalist and author known for investigative journalism, such as in his books Fast Food Nation, Reefer Madness and Chew On This.- Personal History :...
and Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
.
In 2011 he appeared in an ironic role as a Judge in an episode of Franklin & Bash
Franklin & Bash
Franklin & Bash is an American drama-comedy television series created by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais. The series stars Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as unconventional lawyers and longtime friends. A Turner Broadcasting executive has referred to the series as a "funny legal procedural".The...
, who took an extremely strict position on a marijuana holder.
Personal life
Chong was married to his first wife, Maxine Sneed, from 1960 until their divorce in 1970, with whom he had two daughters RobbiRobbi Chong
Robbi Lynn Chong is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Chong was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong, a comedian, actor, writer and director. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scots-Irish ancestry and her mother is of African and Cherokee...
and Rae Dawn
Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress.-Life and career:Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scottish-Irish ancestry and her...
. He married his second wife Shelby Fiddis
Shelby Chong
Shelby Chong, née Fiddis, , is a comedian, American motion picture producer and actress. She was the executive producer of 2003's Best Buds and associate producer of Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers , Still Smokin , Things Are Tough All Over , and Nice Dreams...
in 1975. He has three children with her, sons Paris and Gilbran, and a daughter, Precious Chong. He is also the adoptive father of actor Marcus Chong
Marcus Chong
Marcus Chong is an American actor most noted for his role as Tank in the science fiction film The Matrix....
.
Robbi, Rae Dawn, Marcus and Precious have pursued careers in acting. In the late 1980s, Chong became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Chong is a marijuana activist and is a supporter of marijuana legalization and medical use of marijuana. He is a regular contributor to Cannabis Culture Magazine
Cannabis Culture Magazine
Cannabis Culture is a Canadian magazine and online magazine devoted to cannabis and the worldwide cannabis culture. Cannabis Culture publishes stories about the struggle to legalize marijuana, profiles of marijuana paraphernalia, articles on how to grow marijuana, interviews with prominent...
and sits on the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) advisory board.
US vs. Chong
In 2003, Chong was targeted by two American investigations code-named Operation Pipe DreamsOperation Pipe Dreams
Operation Pipe Dreams was the code-name for a U.S. nationwide investigation in 2003 targeting businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly marijuana pipes and bongs, under a little-used statute of the U.S. Code...
and Operation Headhunter, which sought out businesses selling drug paraphernalia
Drug paraphernalia
Drug paraphernalia is a term used, often with a slightly negative connotation due to its use in criminal law field e.g. "possession of drug paraphernalia", to denote any equipment, product, or material that is modified for making, using, or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes...
, mostly bong
Bong
A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
s. Operation Pipe Dream was run from Pittsburgh. US Attorney for Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
, Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan, née Kotcella, , was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated by George W...
oversaw the case. The estimated cost of Operation Pipe Dream was over $12 million and included the resources of 2,000 law enforcement officers.
Chong was charged for his part in financing and promoting Chong Glass/Nice Dreams, a company started by his son Paris. Chong’s case never went to trial; instead Chong accepted a plea agreement with the United States Attorney for Western Pennsylvania's Office in which he admitted to distributing 7,500 bongs and water pipes on the Internet through Nice Dreams, a family company that was named for one of his movies. Chong agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia in exchange for non-prosecution of his wife, Shelby, and his son, Paris. Chong fully cooperated with the government and was the first of the Operation Pipe Dreams defendants to plead guilty.
At Chong’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania, Mary McKeen Houghton stated in her sentencing arguments that Tommy Chong "used his public image to promote this crime" and marketed his products to children. U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan, née Kotcella, , was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated by George W...
also was present at the sentencing in Pittsburgh and released a statement to the press stating, "there are consequences for violating the law, even if the violator is a well-known entertainer like Thomas Chong."
While Chong argued for community service and home detention at his sentencing, the district judge, Arthur J. Schwab, denied his requests and sentenced him to 9 months in federal prison, a fine of $20,000, forfeiture of $103,514, and the loss of all merchandise seized during the raid of his business. Chong served his sentence at the Taft
Taft, California
Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet . The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census...
Correctional Institution from October 8, 2003 to July 7, 2004.
The entire episode was chronicled in a/k/a Tommy Chong
A/k/a Tommy Chong
a/k/a Tommy Chong, written, produced, and directed by Josh Gilbert, is a documentary film that chronicles the Drug Enforcement Administration raid on comedian Tommy Chong's house and his subsequent jail sentence for trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia...
, the 2006, award-winning documentary by Josh Gilbert
Josh Gilbert (filmmaker)
Josh Gilbert is a screenwriter and documentary filmmaker, best known for producing and directing a/k/a Tommy Chong in 2006, a documentary about comedy legend, Tommy Chong, one half of the duo Cheech & Chong...
. The documentary premiered theatrically at the New York Film Forum
in New York City, in 2006.
Controversy
While government officials denied that Chong was treated any differently from the other defendants, many felt that he was made an example of by the government. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Chong's publicist Brandie KnightBrandie Knight
Brandie Knight is an American writer, who has spent over twenty years in the entertainment industry, and co-producer of the award-winning documentary "a/k/a Tommy Chong"...
as saying the Chong family was shocked by the raid. "We've done everything the right way, and the government is saying there is no right way," Knight said. Soon afterwards, civil rights advocates started the Free Tommy Chong! movement that called for his release. The controversy over Chong’s prosecution centered on the rationale behind focusing on Tommy as opposed to his son, Paris, the disparity in sentences that Tommy Chong received compared to other defendants, and the tactics that the DEA used in carrying out the investigation.
Paris, Tommy’s son, had started Nice Dreams in 1999. At the time of the allegations in the indictment, Paris was the CEO of the company that was the center of the investigation. Paris was never charged with a crime in relation to the investigation. When asked why the government had focused on Tommy as opposed to the company’s CEO, Paris, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan responded that “Tommy Chong was the more responsible corporate officer because he financed and marketed the product.”
Of the 55 people targeted in the investigation, Chong was the only one without previous convictions who received jail time. When questioned on the disparity between sentences/fines that the other 54 individuals received compared to Chong, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan stated, "He (Tommy Chong) wasn't the biggest supplier. He was a relatively new player, but he had the ability to market products like no other."
In investigating the operations of Nice Dreams, federal agents posed as head-shop owners from Pittsburgh’s suburban Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
and pled with Paris to sell them his pipes through the mail to a fictitious shop in suburban Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
. Paris had set in place a company prohibition against selling to Pittsburgh or anywhere in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
. The prohibition was put in place in response to the successful federal prosecution of Akhil Kumar Mishra and his wife, Rajeshwari, whose two head shops sold drug paraphernalia in the city’s downtown. To date, it is unclear how the prohibition was broken and there exist differing accounts as to who broke the company policy which resulted in the action that brought about the ability of the US Attorney to argue that jurisdiction for the crime rests in Pittsburgh opposed to California, the base of operations for Nice Dreams. Tommy Chong has stated publicly that it was a Federal Agent posing as an employee of his son's company who accepted and processed the order that resulted in the prosecution.
Aftermath
Since his release, Chong has been an avid critic of the case that has been brought against him. In December 2004, Chong was to appear in an off-Broadway show entitled The Marijuana-LoguesThe Marijuana-Logues
The Marijuana-Logues is an Off-Broadway comedy show in New York City. Arj Barker, Doug Benson and Tony Camin are the creators and performers. It is a four man stand-up comedy show, with the majority of the humor centered around the drug marijuana. The show's title is a play on the long-running...
, a parody of Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues.- Personal life :...
's The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
. His legal concerns, including members of the audiences smoking marijuana, ultimately caused him to cancel the show. In 2006, Chong wrote a book about his experiences in jail and his interest in meditation, called The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint (ISBN 1-4169-1554-0).
In 2010, Chong appeared at a Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
fundraiser in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, where the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
who prosecuted him, Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan, née Kotcella, , was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated by George W...
, was running for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Seizure of a/k/a Tommy Chong DVDs
On May 7, 2008, federal agents raided Spectrum Labs in an investigation related to Spectrum Labs’ "detoxification" products. The raid, one of nine during the day, was part of Operation True TestOperation True Test
Operation True Test was the code-name for a nationwide investigation in 2008 targeting businesses selling "masking products" that are supposed to help drug-users pass employer drug tests, under a little-used statute of the U.S. Code.Operation True Test is still ongoing...
, an investigation being led by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan
Mary Beth Buchanan, née Kotcella, , was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated by George W...
. The investigation targeted companies that sell so-called "masking products" that are supposed to help drug-users pass employer drug tests. There is, however, no federal law barring such products; they are regulated on a state-by-state basis. Of the nine search warrants issued, none were for businesses within Buchanan's district.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
, in executing their search warrant, the federal agents seized 8,000-10,000 copies of the yet-to-be released documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong
A/k/a Tommy Chong
a/k/a Tommy Chong, written, produced, and directed by Josh Gilbert, is a documentary film that chronicles the Drug Enforcement Administration raid on comedian Tommy Chong's house and his subsequent jail sentence for trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia...
. It has yet to be determined why the DVDs were seized during the raid. Furthermore, Chong has stated he has not been charged with any crime. In a statement released to the press, Chong stated "[The seizure of the DVDs is] a way to punish the distributor financially. There's no way to get the DVDs back until the investigation is over." Chong also stated that he has no ownership of the film, a/k/a Tommy Chong.
In retraction of its original story, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated, "8,000 to 10,000 copies of a Tommy Chong documentary were not seized in the raid. Instead, an "undisclosed number of DVD was taken". The government is not required to disclose why the DVDs were taken as the raid was part of "an ongoing investigation". This story as originally published May 11, 2008 was amended."
Reuniting with Cheech
Chong has appeared with his long-time television partner, Cheech MarinCheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
, in a South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode called Cherokee Hair Tampons
Cherokee Hair Tampons
"Cherokee Hair Tampons" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 54th episode of the series overall. "Cherokee Hair Tampons" originally aired in the United States on June 28, 2000 on Comedy Central....
, where they played fictional versions of themselves pretending to be Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
herbalists
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
. In mid-2008, Cheech & Chong reunited and started touring. The tour is called "Light Up America and Canada" and "The Felimony Tour," which references the expenses both have recently incurred – Chong's losses related to his conviction for his involvement in his son's water pipe business, and Cheech's recent divorce and subsequent alimony payments. In October 2008, they appeared on The Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
Show, The Howard Stern Show and The Ron and Fez
Ron and Fez
The Ron and Fez Show is an American radio talk show hosted by Ron Bennington and Fez "Marie" Whatley.After long popular runs in Tampa, Florida, New York City, and Washington, D.C., Ron and Fez are now heard on Sirius XM Radio's the Opie and Anthony Channel, located on XM channel 105, and Sirius...
Show on SIRIUS/XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
. On March 1, 2010, they hosted WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
.
TV Series
- PLAYBOY Comedy Roast for Tommy Chong (1986)
- Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
(1986) - T.R. 'Jumbo' Collins - The George Carlin Show (1994) - Unknown
- Nash BridgesNash BridgesNash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
(1997) - Barry Chen - SlidersSlidersSliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
(1997) - Van Elsinger - That 70s Show (1999–2002), (2005–2006) - Leo
- Dharma & GregDharma & GregDharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
(1999) - Carl - South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
(2000) - Chief Running Pinto - George LopezGeorge LopezGeorge Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
(2007) - Mr. Gutierez - Code MonkeysCode MonkeysCode Monkeys is an American animated television program created by Adam de la Peña. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision....
(2008) - Laird Boone - Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld (Fox News Channel) - Himself
- MADtvMADtvMADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
(2009) - Himself - Tosh.0Tosh.0Tosh.0 is an American television series hosted by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides sarcastic commentary on online video clips, society, celebrities, and other parts of popular culture.-History:...
(2009) - Himself - WWE RawWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
(2010) - Himself (Guest Host) - The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(2011) Tommy chong - Franklin and Bash (2011)Bangover Judge Tommy Harper
Voices
- FernGully: The Last RainforestFernGully: The Last RainforestFernGully: The Last Rainforest is a 1992 Australian-American animated film directed by Bill Kroyer, produced by Peter Faiman and Wayne Young, and written by Jim Cox based on a book of the same name by Diana Young. It is a film with a strong environmental theme...
(1992) - Root - Scarface: The World Is YoursScarface: The World is YoursScarface: The World Is Yours is a video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. The game is based on and is a quasi-sequel to the 1983 motion picture Scarface starring Al Pacino reprising his role as Tony Montana, with André Sogliuzzo providing Montana's...
(2006) - pedestrian - Code MonkeysCode MonkeysCode Monkeys is an American animated television program created by Adam de la Peña. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision....
(2008) - Laird Boony - Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. EvilHoodwinked 2: Hood vs. EvilHoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil is a 2011 American computer-animated family action comedy film and the sequel to 2005's Hoodwinked!, directed by Mike Disa and released on April 29, 2011. It was also released in 3D. The film was written by Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards and Tony Leech, who also wrote the...
(2011) - Stone
Movies
- Up in SmokeUp in SmokeUp in Smoke, directed by Lou Adler, is Cheech and Chong's first feature-length film, released in 1978 by Paramount Pictures. It stars Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Edie Adams, Strother Martin, and Stacy Keach....
(1978)... Anthony 'Man' Stoner - Cheech & Chong's Next MovieCheech & Chong's Next MovieCheech & Chong's Next Movie is the second feature-length film by Cheech and Chong, released in 1980. It was directed by Tommy Chong.-Plot:...
(1980)... Chong - Nice Dreams (1981)... Chong
- It Came from HollywoodIt Came From HollywoodIt Came from Hollywood is a 1982 comedy film compiling clips from various B movies. Written by Dana Olsen and directed by Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt, the film features wraparound segments and narration by several famous comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Cheech and Chong...
(1982)... Himself - Things Are Tough All OverThings Are Tough All OverThings are Tough All Over is the fourth Cheech and Chong movie. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are featured as the two hippies, and additionally as Arab businessmen Mr. Slyman and Prince Habib...
(1982)... Chong/Prince Habib - Still Smokin'Still Smokin'Still Smokin is a semi-concert film by Cheech and Chong, released in 1983.-Plot:Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong play versions of themselves being invited to Amsterdam for a film festival devoted to Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton...
(1983)... Chong - YellowbeardYellowbeardYellowbeard is a 1983 comedy film by Graham Chapman, along with Peter Cook, Bernard McKenna and David Sherlock. It was directed by Mel Damski, and was Marty Feldman's last film appearance.-Plot:...
(1983)... El Nebuloso - Cheech & Chong's The Corsican BrothersCheech & Chong's The Corsican BrothersCheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers is the sixth feature-length film starring the comedy duo Cheech and Chong. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong star as the two brothers in a parody of various film adaptations of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel, The Corsican Brothers.The film was not a critical...
(1984)... Corsican Brother - Get Out of My RoomGet Out of My RoomGet Out of My Room is an album and short-form video featuring comedians Cheech & Chong, released in 1985. The album and video marked the last release by the long time comedy duo, with Cheech leaving in 1986 in order to focus on his mainstream acting career...
(1985)... The Man - After HoursAfter Hours (film)After Hours is a 1985 American black comedy film, written by Joseph Minion and directed by Martin Scorsese. Paul Hackett , a New Yorker, experiences a series of adventures and perils in trying to make his way home from SoHo.-Plot:...
(1985)... Pepe (as Chong) - TripwireTripwire (film)Tripwire is a 1990 American film directed by James Lemmo.It is an action/adventure movie about a terrorist and government secret agent personal vendetta that began when a train hijacking goes badly awry and the terrorist son is accidentally killed. The original music score was composed by Richard...
(1990)... Merle Shine - Far Out ManFar Out ManFar Out Man was a 1990 comedy film written, directed by and starring Tommy Chong. It was filmed in Los Angeles, California, USA. Cinetel Films produced the movie and it was distributed in USA theaters by New Line Cinema, Sony Video , Platinum Disc , and RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video...
(1990)... Far Out Man - The Spirit of '76Spirit of '76 (1990 film)The Spirit of '76 is a 1990 comedy film that spoofs American culture of the mid-1970s. It stars David Cassidy, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Olivia d'Abo, and the rock groups Redd Kross and Devo. The movie was initially released October 12, 1990...
(1990)... Stoner - Life After SexLife After SexLife After Sex is a 1992 film directed by Serge Rodnunsky by Rojak Films. It stars Rodnunsky, Lane Lenhart, Maggie Mabie, Kathleen Beller and Tommy Chong....
(1992)... awkward naked guy - FernGully: The Last RainforestFernGully: The Last RainforestFernGully: The Last Rainforest is a 1992 Australian-American animated film directed by Bill Kroyer, produced by Peter Faiman and Wayne Young, and written by Jim Cox based on a book of the same name by Diana Young. It is a film with a strong environmental theme...
(1992)... Root - National Lampoon's Senior TripNational Lampoon's Senior TripNational Lampoon's Senior Trip is a 1995 teen movie directed by Kelly Makin.- Plot :The film follows the story of a group of rude and obnoxious seniors from Fairmont High, an Ohio high school. After a typing class, the seniors cut school and throw a party at the home of Principal Moss...
(1995)... Red - McHale's NavyMcHale's NavyMcHale's Navy is an American television sitcom series which ran for 138 half-hour episodes from October 11,1962, to August 31, 1966, on the ABC network. The series was filmed in black and white and originated in a one-hour drama called Seven Against the Sea, broadcast on April 3, 1962...
(1997)... Armando/Ernesto - Half BakedHalf BakedHalf Baked is a 1998 stoner comedy film starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams and Guillermo Díaz. The movie was directed by Tamra Davis, and co-written by star Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan...
(1998)... Squirrel Master - The WashThe Wash (film)The Wash is a hip hop-styled film written and directed by DJ Pooh and starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and DJ Pooh, with appearances by Eminem and Ludacris. The film was released on November 16, 2001.-Plot:...
(2001)... Dee's Connection - Best BudsBest BudsBest Buds is directed by Ken Kuramoto by Bong Productions. It stars Tommy Chong and his family: Shelby Chong, Paris Chong, Gilbran Chong and Precious Chong. The movie has been edited since the first copy made by Coyote Films because Tommy Chong didn't like the changes made by the distributor. It is...
(2003)... Tommy Chong/Carlos - Secret Agent 420Secret Agent 420Secret Agent 420 is directed by Guy Logan by Fondu Productions. It stars Richard Trapp, Tommy Chong, Jack Herer, Andrew Johnson, Sarah Lilly, Melissa Cunningham, Tess Broussard and Crystal Knight....
(2005)... QP - Evil BongEvil BongEvil Bong is a 2006 horror/comedy film directed by Charles Band about a group of college stoners who smoke a bong unaware that the bong transports the smoker into a surreal world where strippers with teeth-like bras attack them. The ending features an extended cameo by Tommy Chong, of Cheech &...
(2006)... Jimbo Leary - American Drug War: The Last White HopeAmerican Drug War: The Last White HopeAmerican Drug War: The Last White Hope is a 2007 documentary by writer/director Kevin Booth about the War on Drugs in the United States.- Synopsis :The film states the War on Drugs has become one of the longest and most costly wars in American history...
(2007)... Himself - The Union: The Business Behind Getting HighThe Union: The Business Behind Getting HighThe Union: The Business Behind Getting High is a 2007 documentary film by Canadian filmmaker Brett Harvey.-Synopsis:The film explores the illegal growth, sale and trafficking of marijuana. Its theatrical run was limited to film festivals...
(2007)... Himself - Chinaman's ChanceChinaman's chanceThe expression a Chinaman's chance means someone has no chance at all of accomplishing or successfully doing an action.The original phrase, from the California gold rush, was that one had only a Chinaman's Chance in Hell, but it morphed through usage into its current state.-History:The historical...
(2008)... Deputy Tom - a/k/a Tommy ChongA/k/a Tommy Chonga/k/a Tommy Chong, written, produced, and directed by Josh Gilbert, is a documentary film that chronicles the Drug Enforcement Administration raid on comedian Tommy Chong's house and his subsequent jail sentence for trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia...
(2008 DVD Release)... Himself - Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This (Documentary film about their 2008–09 reunion tour) (2010)... Himself
- Up in Smoke 2 (TBA)... Anthony 'Man' Stoner (?)
External links
- Chong's Bongs Gone Wrong A Newsweek article by Brian Braiker about Tommy Chong's various legal problems
- HoboTrashcan's One on One with Tommy Chong An in-depth interview about politics, Cheech and Chong and Tommy's wife and kids
- An Interview With Tommy Chong A Stumped? magazine article by Zach Freeman
- Video interview with Tommy Chong on 'Connected Life'
- Donald E. Wilkes, Jr. "Pot Pope Imprisoned." Published in Flagpole Magazine, p. 31 (December 20, 2006).