Leslie Dunkling[3] is Leonard Helperman's love interest in the Teacher's Pet. She tolerates Leonard and is a great friend to him but likes Spot/Scott better.
Personality
Leslie is Leonard's next-door neighbor, and the girl of his dreams. She really breaks the popular girl stereotype, she's very kind and caring, she knows a lot of facts, and she treats others nicely by who they are and not how popular they are. She is willing to express her opinion and is not afraid to do a challenge or anything daring. She has a very tolerant feeling towards Leonard and often flirts with Scott. She is also head of the cheerleading squad. Despite being from a rich family, she lives in a normal house in a cul-de-sac next to Leonard's place. She is not afraid to show concern for Leonard and her best friend, Younghee. She is also spoiled by her doting and wealthy parents. Leslie is very intelligent, beautiful, sweet, and cheerful and is the most popular girl in school.
Physical Appearance
Leslie is a very pretty and slender 10 year old girl with slightly tanned fair skin, and long navy blue hair. She wears a red long sleeve blouse and blue skirt, red strappies, and golden pearl earrings and has a nice figure.
Bio
Leslie is Leonard's love interest and next-door neighbor. He is madly in love with her. Before Scott Leadready II came to town, she and Leonard were best friends since they were both in daycare, they were inseparable. Until 4th grade when she decided to stop hanging out with him because he's a boy, but they remained good friends. Leslie is very kind, friendly, brave, and outspoken, is the richest girl in the class, and just loves Spot. She doesn't know Leonard likes her and yet still cares deeply for him. Leslie's best friend is Younghee Mandlebom, a Korean-American student. She is also revealed to have a talent for singing.
Show
In the show, she just adores Spot and is completely unaware of Leonard's eternal love for her. Like the rest of the girls, she's hitting on Scott. When Leonard and Leslie were little, they used to be playmates.
The most notable episodes that focus on their relationship are "Taint Valentines Day", "What's Sweat Gotta Do With It", "A Lick is Still a Kiss", "Inspector Leadready II", "Double Dog Dare", and "All About Eavesdropping". Most notably the episodes in season 2.
Relationships with Other Characters
Leonard Helperman
Leslie and Leonard have been best friends since they were babies. They first met when Leslie was 5 months old and she and Leonard became playmates and eventually, best friends. They were inseparable, until the 4th grade when she decided to not hang out with him as much because he's a boy, but they remained good friends. Leonard is madly in love with Leslie but she doesn't know that. However, Leslie does have feelings for him. Sometimes, Leslie will seek comfort in Leonard when she is hurt or trying to open up emotionally to him. Even though Leslie is unaware of the huge crush Leonard's got on her, there are times that prove that she has strong feelings for him despite liking Scott/Spot more.
- Prior to the events of the series, she and Leonard were best friends since daycare and they were playmates since Leonard was 1 year old, they were inseparable. Until the 4th grade, when she decided to stop hanging out with him because he's a boy but they remained good friends.
- In the episode, Pet Project she said Leonard was likely to get the highest grade because he has the greatest pets ever.
- In the episode A Lick is Still a Kiss, when Leonard is accused of spreading a rumor about her, she says that she used to think Leonard was the nicest boy in the world and decides to never speak to him again. Later, she thinks Scott is the nicest boy in the world after he "defended" her. When things are cleared up, she comes over his house and apologizes and they become friends again.
- In the episode Taint Valentines Day, Leonard wants a card from her. When Scott makes 15 cards for him, she seems impressed by the cards he has gotten. When everyone finds out the cards have the same handwriting and that there are only 6 girls in the class, she and the other girls think Leonard made them for himself and they start to accuses him of being a chauvinist and they almost beat him up to death. When Scott explains the truth, Scott becomes more cool then ever and Leslie and the other girls decide to make gifts for Scott and Leonard is still left all bruised and beat up with no Valentines. Later, when Leonard is in bed healing his wounds, he notices there are two valentines in his backpack, the first one is from Leslie and the other one is from Younghee.
- In the episode Inspector Leadready II, Leonard was wrongly accused of breaking her school project and Scott went to clear his name once again. When Leonard's name is cleared, she picks him off the ground and they notice that they're holding hands and they both blush and look away and smile at each other.
- In Don't Make My Brown Eyes Green, when Leonard took credit for Fetch-It and he became liked better, she asks if they could play it together after school.
- In Double Dog Dare, Leonard was told to tell everyone in class who his favorite girl in the class and Leonard was caught in a triangle. If he lied and said "Younghee" then Leslie might have felt the same way and he'll break her heart and if he told everyone he loved her, he'll be publicly humiliated and it might ruin he and Leslie's friendship. At the end, Leslie admits her favorite guys are Scott and Leonard.
- In the episode What's Sweat Gotta Do with It, he and Leslie were paired up as dancing partners which made Leonard nervous and sweaty and he was afraid she wouldn't dance with him. Later, Leslie reveals she was scared to do a dance with him as well and she also has sweaty hands when she's near him and she agrees to dance with him.
- In All About Eavesdropping, Leonard went to spy on her to find out what she thinks of him after thinking that she and the other girls hate him because he's fat. When he was eavesdropping, he found out she thinks he is cute.
Younghee
Younghee is Leslie's best friend. They're girlfriends and are always seen hanging out together. They both are hitting on Scott. In fact, they both have romantic feelings for Leonard. Sometimes, if you look in Leslie's bedroom, you can notice a nice BFF picture of them and pictures of Leonard and Scott can be seen as well.
Spot Helperman
Leslie loves Spot and is always hugging and kissing him when he's near. Leslie is hitting on Scott like the rest of the girls and sometimes flirts with him. She likes him because of is amazing talents and dramatic speeches.
Trivia
- Leslie is the only main character to not have a role in the movie. She does appear along with the other kids at the beginning.
- Leslie shares the traits, role, qualities, and voice actor of Rose from American Dragon: Jake Long. Both are slender, have long hair past their shoulders, they both are kind, are the main hero's love interest, and they both are really pretty.
- Leslie is similar to Charlotte La Bouff from The Princess and the Frog. They're both unique to their roles as they are between two archetypes. Despite them being both extremely wealthy and spoiled, they're not villains or even portrayed as antagonists. They are both very kind, sweet, and generous. Charlotte is Tiana's best friend throughout the movie, whereas, Leslie and Leonard are really good friends in the show.
