Luke Duke

Did You Know?

• Luke was the first to perform the hood slide stunt on the show, which originated accidentally when Tom Wopat cut his thigh on the radio aerial.
• Luke acted hypocritically on occasion, most prominently in season 1 episode 6 'Swamp Molly'.
• Tom Wopat was cast as Luke Duke after a CBS casting agent remembered him from an off-Broadway musical, 'A Bistro Car on the CNR'.

Character background

Show creator Gy Waldron named the Dukes after an elderly man he worked with in a hardware store. He chose the first name Luke in part because he wanted at least two of the names to be biblical in origin. Luke Duke is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a former boxer. He lives with his younger cousin Bo Duke in an unincorporated area of the fictional Hazzard County, 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, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, and the sheriff's deputies. The Duke family, including cousin Daisy Duke and Uncle Jesse Duke, was 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 was permitted to use firearms, instead preferring to use bow and arrows. The terms of Bo and Luke's probation included staying within the boundaries of Hazzard County (unless given special permission by their Probation Officer, who happened to be Boss Hogg). Prior to the start of the show, Luke served in the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of Sergeant. Luke's famous "hood slide" (as seen in the opening credits, originating from the second episode, "Daisy's Song") is the trick most commonly associated with the character. The hood slide's origins were accidental. Wopat got caught while trying to vault over the car to get to the passenger side. His foot got caught on the side of the car, and he cut his thigh on the radio aerial, which was later removed to prevent injury.

Storylines

In the pilot episode of the series, Bo commented that Luke was probably the father of at least two of the children who live at the Hazzard County Orphanage. Luke later left Hazzard County, along with his cousin Bo, to join the NASCAR circuit. His cousin Vance replaced him during that time. According to the 1997 film The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!, Luke eventually would leave Hazzard for good, and put his military training to good use by becoming a fire jumper for the U.S. Forest Service. During training in Montana, he met and fell in love with a woman named Anita Blackwell, who was a talented singer. He convinced her to leave to pursue her dreams, and she became a successful country music star. Luke met her again in The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood, although by then she was married to another man.