Mr. T | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mr. T at theWWE Hall of Fame in 2014 | |
| Born | Laurence Tureaud[1] (1952-05-21)May 21, 1952 (age 73) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Mr. T |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 236 lb (107 kg)[2] |
| Debut | March 24, 1985 |
| Retired | December 27, 1994 |
| Signature | |
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Mr. T (bornLaurence Tureaud; May 21, 1952)[3][4][5][6] is an American actor and retiredprofessional wrestler. He is known for his roles asB. A. Baracus in the 1980s television seriesThe A-Team and asboxerClubber Lang in the 1982 filmRocky III. He is also known for his distinctive hairstyle inspired byMandinka warriors in West Africa,[7] his copious gold jewelry, his tough-guy persona and hiscatchphrase "I pity the fool!", first uttered as Clubber Lang inRocky III, then turned into atrademark used in slogans or titles, like the reality showI Pity the Fool in 2006.
Tureaud was born inChicago,Illinois, the youngest son in a family with twelve children. He and his four sisters and seven brothers grew up in a three-room apartment in theRobert Taylor Homes,[8] public housing. His father, Nathaniel Tureaud, was aminister.[4] After his father left when Lawrence was five years old, he shortened his name to Lawrence Tero. In 1970, he legally changed his last name to T.[5] His new name, Mr. T, was based upon his childhood impressions regarding the lack of respect from white people for his family. T recalls:
I think about my father being called "boy", my uncle being called "boy", my brother, coming back from Vietnam and being called "boy". So I questioned myself: "What does a black man have to do before he's given respect as a man?" So when I was 18 years old, when I was old enough to fight and die for my country, old enough to drink, old enough to vote, I said I was old enough to be called a man. I self-ordained myself Mr. T, so the first word out of everybody's mouth is "Mr."[9][10]
Tureaud attendedDunbar Vocational High School,[11] where he was on the school'sfootball and wrestling teams. He also studiedmartial arts. During high school, he was the citywide wrestling champion two years in a row.
He won a football scholarship toPrairie View A&M University, where he majored in mathematics, but was expelled after his first year.[12]
After Tureaud left Prairie View A&M, he worked as a gym instructor for a government program in Chicago. He later said it was here that he discovered a gift for helping children.[5] Thereafter, he enlisted in theUnited States Army in 1975 and served in theMilitary Police Corps. After his discharge in the late 1970s, he tried out for theGreen Bay Packers of theNational Football League, but failed to make the team due to a knee injury.[12]
Tureaud worked as abouncer at theRush Street night club Dingbats Discotheque.[13][14] It was at this time that he created the persona of Mr. T.[15] He began wearing gold neck chains and other jewelry as a result of customers losing the items or leaving them behind at the night club after a fight. A banned customer, or one reluctant to risk a confrontation by going back inside, could return to claim his property from Mr. T who would wear it conspicuously in front of the establishment. Along with controlling the violence as a doorman, Tureaud was mainly hired to keep out drug dealers and users.[16] Tureaud has claimed that as a bouncer, he was in over 200 fights and was sued a number of times, but won each case.[17]
He eventually parlayed his job as a bouncer into a career as a bodyguard that lasted almost ten years. As his reputation grew, he was contracted to guard, among others, clothes designers, models, judges, politicians, athletes and millionaires.[18] His clients included celebritiesSteve McQueen,Michael Jackson,LeVar Burton, andDiana Ross,[19] and boxersMuhammad Ali,Joe Frazier, andLeon Spinks.[20] With his reputation as Mr. T, Tureaud attracted strange offers and was frequently approached with odd commissions, including tracking runaway teenagers, locating missing persons,debt collection, and assassination requests.[21]
While he was in his late twenties, Tureaud won two tough-man competitions consecutively.[22] The first aired asSunday Games on NBC-TV under the contest of "America's Toughest Bouncer" which included throwing a 150-pound (68 kg)stuntman, and breaking through a 4-inch (10 cm) wooden door.[23] For the first event, Tureaud came in third place. For the end, two finalists squared off in a boxing ring for a two-minute round to declare the champion. Making it to the ring as a finalist, he had as his opponent a 280-pound (130 kg)Honolulu bouncer, Tutefano Tufi.[24] Within twenty seconds Mr. T gave the 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Tufi a bloody nose, and later a bloody mouth. T won the match and thus the competition.[25] The second competition was aired under a new name,Games People Play, on NBC-TV. When interviewed byBryant Gumbel before the final boxing match, Mr T. said, "I just feel sorry for the guy who I have to box. I just feel real sorry for him."[26] This fight was scheduled to last three rounds, but Mr. T finished it in less than 54 seconds. The line, "I don't hate him but... I pity the fool" in the movieRocky III was written bySylvester Stallone, who is reputed to have been inspired by the interview.[27]
While readingNational Geographic, Mr. T first noticed the unusual hairstyle for which he is now famous, on aMandinka warrior.[28] He decided that adoption of the style would be a powerful statement about his African origin. It was a simpler, safer, and more permanent visual signature than his gold chains, rings, and bracelets.
In 1980, Mr. T was spotted bySylvester Stallone while taking part in NBC's "America's Toughest Bouncer" competition, a segment of NBC'sGames People Play.[29] Although his role inRocky III was originally intended as just a few lines, Mr. T was eventually cast as Clubber Lang, the primary antagonist. His catchphrase "I pity the fool!" comes from the film; when asked if he hates Rocky, Lang replies, "No, I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool." He subsequently appeared in another boxing film,Penitentiary 2,[30] and on an episode of the Canadiansketch comedy seriesBizarre, where he fights and eatsSuper Dave Osborne,[31] before accepting a television series role onThe A-Team. He appeared in an episode of the NBC sitcomSilver Spoons, reprising his old role as bodyguard to the character Ricky Stratton (played byRicky Schroder).
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InThe A-Team, he playedSergeant Bosco "B. A." Baracus, an ex-Armycommando on the run with three other members from the United States government "for a crime they didn't commit." As well as the team's tough guy, B. A. was a mechanical genius, but afraid of flying. When asked at a press conference whether he was as stupid as B. A. Baracus, Mr. T observed quietly, "It takes a smart guy to play dumb." The series was a major hit, and B. A. Baracus in particular quickly became a cult character and thede facto star of the show, reportedly sparking tensions with seasoned actorGeorge Peppard, although Mr. T always maintained that these were unfounded rumors.[32] Mr. T was reported to be earning $80,000 a week for his role inThe A-Team.
His role inThe A-Team led to him making an appearance in the sitcomDiff'rent Strokes in the sixth season opener "Mr. T and Mr. t" (1983), in which an episode ofThe A-Team is supposedly filmed in the family's penthouse apartment.
Also in 1983, aRuby-Spears-produced cartoon calledMister T premiered on NBC. TheMister T cartoon starred Mr. T as his alter ego, the owner of a gym where a group of gymnasts trained. He helped them with their training, but they also helped him solve mysteries and fight crime inScooby-Doo-style scenarios; thirty episodes were produced. Each episode was bookended by Mr. T himself, presenting the theme of the episode, and then a closing statement on a lesson for children, based on the events of the episode.[33]
The only feature film that can be called a Mr. T vehicle,DC Cab, was also released in 1983. It features an ensemble cast, many of whom were publicized figures from other areas of show business: comicsPaul Rodriguez,Marsha Warfield, singerIrene Cara, bodybuildersDavid andPeter Paul (the "Barbarian Brothers") — but who had only modest acting experience. Despite the wide range of performers, and more seasoned actors such asAdam Baldwin as the protagonist Albert, as well asGary Busey andMax Gail, Mr. T was top billed and the central figure in the film's publicity, with him literally towering over the other characters on the film's poster. While the film, featuring the ensemble as a ragtag taxi company trying to hustle their way to solvency and respectability, performed modestly at the box office, its $16 million take exceeded its $12 million budget, it received mixed reviews critically.[34]Janet Maslin, writing forThe New York Times, described it as "a musical mob scene, a raucous, crowded movie that's fun as long as it stays wildly busy, and a lot less interesting when it wastes time on plot or conversation."[35]Roger Ebert praised the movie's "mindless, likable confusion" and criticized its "fresh off the assembly line" plot.[36] It was the second feature for prolific directorJoel Schumacher.
In 1984, Mr. T made a motivational video,Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!. He gives helpful advice to children throughout the video; for example, he teaches them how to understand and appreciate their origins, how to dress fashionably without buying designer labels, how to make tripping up look likebreakdancing, how to control their anger, and how to deal withpeer pressure. The video is roughly one hour long, but contains 30 minutes of singing, either by the group of children accompanying him, or by Mr. T himself. He sings "Treat Your Mother Right (Treat Her Right)", and alsoraps a song about growing up in the ghetto and praising God. The raps in this video were written byIce-T.[37] Due to its unintentionally comic nature, many clips have been made from this video and shared asInternet memes. Also in 1984, he played the protagonist of the TV movieThe Toughest Man in the World, as Bruise Brubaker, a bouncer also leading a sports center for teenagers, who takes part in a strong man championship to get funds for the center. He also released arap mini-album,Mr. T's Commandments (Columbia/CBS Records) the same year. It features seven songs, including the title theme for the aforementioned TV film. In much the same tone as his motivational video, it instructed children to stay in school and to stay away from drugs.[38] He followed it up the same year with a second album, titledMr. T'sBe Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! (MCA), featuring music from the eponymous film.
During those busy years, he made numerous appearances in television shows, most notably hosting the 15th episode of the10th season ofSaturday Night Live, along withHulk Hogan, both of whom were featured inRocky III. Mr. T had previously appeared onSaturday Night Live (season 8) in October 1982, fresh from his role inRocky III, in a recurring skit byEddie Murphy called "Mr. Robinson Neighborhood" (making a reference to one of his lines in the movie : "Hello boys and girls. The new word for today... is PAIN.").
On January 19, 1985, he introducedRich Little at the nationally televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala, the day before the second inauguration ofRonald Reagan.
In 1988, after the cancellation ofThe A-Team, Mr. T starred in the syndicated Canadian television seriesT. and T. Earning $15,000 for personal appearances, by the end of the 1990s, he was appearing only in the occasional commercial, largely because of health problems.
Some time during the 1990s,[vague] Mr. T would be inEric "Butterbean" Esch's corner in the boxing matches during one of theToughman Contests.[39][user-generated source?] He has frequently appeared on theTBN Christian television network.
In 2002, Mr. T appeared as a bartender in the video for "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" byBusta Rhymes featuringSean Combs andPharrell Williams. In the 2009 animated filmCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Mr. T provided the voice for Officer Earl Devereaux, the town's athletic cop who loves his son very much. Mr. T was offered acameo appearance in thefilm adaptation ofThe A-Team, but he declined,[40] whereasDwight Schultz andDirk Benedict both made cameos in the film. These scenes were shown after the credits, but were reinserted during the film in the Extended Cut.[41][42] Although he was not disturbed at the mere prospect of an A-Team film being made without him, he strongly criticized the concept of having another actor copy his own very distinct appearance and style (including his haircut and gold chains) in the hope of attracting his nostalgic fanbase, and considered that asking him to do a cameo appearance in those conditions was disrespectful.[43][user-generated source?]
Starting in 2011, Mr. T presented aclip show onBBC Three namedWorld's Craziest Fools. The show featured stories such as botched bank robberies and inept insurance fraudsters alongsidefail videos.[44] In 2015, it was announced that Mr. T would star in ado it yourselfhome improvement TV show, with interior designer Tiffany Brooks, on theDIY Network. The show, due sometime in 2015, was to be titled,I Pity the Tool, as comical wordplay on his famous catchphrase, but only one episode was aired, for unknown reasons.[45][46][user-generated source?]
On March 1, 2017, Mr. T was revealed as one of the contestants who would compete onseason 24 ofDancing with the Stars. He was paired with professional dancerKym Herjavec.[47] On April 10, 2017, Mr. T and Herjavec were the third couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in 10th place.[48] He vowed to donate the money received from this participation to theSaint Jude Children's Research Hospital and theShriners Hospitals for Children.[49][50]
Mr. T has appeared in numerous TV commercials, including forSnickers,Atari,World of Warcraft,MCI,Comcast andRadioShack.Forbes described him as "one of the most enduringpitchmen in the business". Mr. T has described himself as "not really an actor, I'm a reactor; I'm a pitchman." At his peak, he was earning $5 million per year.[51]
Mr. T performed in a video campaign forHitachi Data Systems (HDS) that was created and posted on consumer video sites includingYouTube andYahoo! Video. According to Steven Zivanic, senior director and corporate communications of HDS, "this campaign has not only helped the firm in its own area, but it has given the data storage firm a broader audience."[52] In November 2007, Mr. T appeared in a television commercial for the online role playing gameWorld of Warcraft with the phrase "I'm Mr. T and I'm aNight Elf Mohawk".[53] A follow-up to this commercial appeared in November 2009 where he appeared promoting the "mohawk grenade" item, which appears in game and turns other players into Mr. T's likeness.
In 2008, Mr. T appeared on the American channelShopping TV, selling his Mr. T Flavorwave Oven.[54] In 2009,ZootFly announced they had acquired the rights to the Mr. T Graphic Novel and were planning several video games based upon the work.[55] The first (and only) game,Mr. T: The Videogame, was to have Mr. T battleNazis in various locations and guest starWil Wright. It was planned to be available on theXbox 360,PS3,Wii andPC platforms, however the game was cancelled for undisclosed reasons.[56]
The same year, he appeared on commercials in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand advertising the candy bar Snickers with the slogan "Get Some Nuts!"[57] One of these commercials featured Mr. T on anarmy jeep calling a speed walker wearing yellow shorts "a disgrace to the man race" (a pun on the double meaning of the word "race") and firing Snickers bars at the man with a custom-made machine gun so that he starts "running like a real man". This commercial was pulled byMars following a complaint by the US-based groupHuman Rights Campaign, although the advert had never been shown in the US. The group alleged that the commercial promoted the idea that violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people "is not only acceptable, but humorous".[58] Mr. T distanced himself from these accusations, insisting that he would never lend his name to such beliefs, and that he did not think the commercial was offensive to anyone, as all the commercials he appeared in had a similarly silly, over-the-top nature and were never intended to be taken seriously.[59]
In 2010, Mr. T signed up as the spokesman for Gold Promise, a gold-buying company.[60] According to an appraiser hired byBloomberg Television'sTaking Stock, his trademark gold jewelry was worth around $43,000 in 1983,[61] although some sources claim the gold jewelry was worth up to $300,000.[62]
In 2015, he starred in a series ofFuze Iced Tea advertisements, stating, "The only thing bolder than Fuze Iced Tea is ME!" The brand, owned byThe Coca-Cola Company, also briefly centered its social profiles and website around Mr. T.[63]
Mr. T entered the world ofprofessional wrestling in 1985. He wasHulk Hogan's tag-team partner at theWorld Wrestling Federation's (WWF)WrestleMania I, a match they won. Hulk Hogan wrote in his autobiography that Mr. T saved the main event of WrestleMania I between them and "Rowdy"Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful"Paul Orndorff because when he arrived, security would not let his entourage into the building. Mr. T was ready to skip the show until Hogan personally talked him out of leaving.[clarification needed] Piper said he and fellow wrestlers disliked Mr. T because he was an actor and had never paid his dues as a professional wrestler. Remaining with the WWF, Mr. T became a special "WWF boxer" in light of his character inRocky III. He took on"Cowboy" Bob Orton on the March 1, 1986,Saturday Night's Main Event V, on NBC. Thisboxing stunt culminated in another boxing match against Roddy Piper atWrestleMania 2. As part of the build-up for the match, Piper attacked Mr. T's friend, dwarf wrestler theHaiti Kid on hisPiper's Pit interview slot, shaving his head into amohican style similar to that of Mr. T. Then Mr. T won the boxing match in Round 4 by disqualification after Piper attacked the referee and bodyslammed Mr. T. He returned to the World Wrestling Federation as aspecial guest referee in 1987 and a special referee enforcer confronting such stars asThe Honky Tonk Man.
On July 21, 1989, Mr. T. made an appearance inWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), secondingKerry Von Erich.[64]
Five years later, Mr. T reappeared inWCW, first appearing in Hulk Hogan's corner for his WCW world title match againstRic Flair atBash at the Beach 1994. He would next appear as a special referee for the Hogan–Flair rematch in October 1994 atHalloween Havoc, and then went on to wrestle again, defeatingKevin Sullivan at that year'sStarrcade.
Another seven years later, Mr. T appeared in the front row of the November 19, 2001, episode ofWWF Raw.[65] On April 5, 2014, at theSmoothie King Center inNew Orleans, Mr. T was inducted byGene Okerlund into theWWE Hall of Fame's celebrity wing. His acceptance speech, largely a tribute to his mother andmotherhood rather than wrestling, ran long and was eventually interrupted byKane.[66]
Mr. T is aborn-again Christian.[67] Mr. T has three children with his wife: two daughters, one of whom is a comedian, and a son. Mr. T was sued by a man in 2014 saying that he was also Mr. T's son from outside his marriage. The lawsuit was dismissed in August 2014 due to the man's failure to pay the required fees.[68][69]
In 1987, he angered the residents ofLake Forest, Illinois, by cutting down more than a hundred oak trees on his estate. The local newspaper referred to the incident as "the Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre".[70][71][72]
In 1995, he was diagnosed with a cutaneousT-cell lymphoma, ormycosis fungoides.[73][user-generated source?] Once inremission, he joked about the coincidence: "Can you imagine that? Cancer with my name on it – personalized cancer!"[74] He wrote an as-yet-unpublished book on this experience, calledCancer Saved My Life (Cancer Ain't For No Wimps).[75] He made a direct reference to it as he performed a waltz to the song "Amazing Grace" inDancing with the Stars.[76]
He stopped wearing virtually all his gold, one of his identifying marks, after helping with the clean-up afterHurricane Katrina in 2005. He said, "As a Christian, when I saw other people lose their lives and lose their land and property ... I felt that it would be a sin before God for me to continue wearing my gold. I felt it would be insensitive and disrespectful to the people who lost everything, so I stopped wearing my gold."[77]
Mr. T oftenrefers to himself in the third person.[78] He also frequently talks in rhymes. He citesMuhammad Ali as his "childhood hero" and his main inspiration with regard to style and mannerisms.[50]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers[79] | Guy on the Street | Uncredited |
| 1982 | Penitentiary II | Himself | |
| Rocky III | Clubber Lang | ||
| 1983 | D.C. Cab | Samson | |
| 1984 | Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! | ||
| 1985 | Rocky IV | Clubber Lang | Archival footage |
| 1985 | WrestleMania | Himself | Video |
| 1986 | WrestleMania 2 | ||
| 1993 | Freaked | The Bearded Lady | |
| 1994 | Magic of the Golden Bear: Goldy III | Freedom | |
| Bash at the Beach | Himself | Video | |
| Halloween Havoc | |||
| Starrcade | |||
| 1995 | Battlecade Extreme Fighting | ||
| 1996 | Spy Hard | Helicopter Pilot | |
| 1999 | Inspector Gadget | Himself | |
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie | The Wise Janitor | |
| 2001 | Judgment | J. T. Quincy | |
| 2009 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Earl Devereaux | Voice role |
| 2014 | WrestleMania XXX | Himself | Video |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Games People Play | Himself | Episode: "America's Best Bouncer" |
| 1982 | Twilight Theater | ||
| Silver Spoons | Episode: "Me and Mr. T" | ||
| 1982–1984 | Saturday Night Live | 2 episodes | |
| 1983–1987 | The A-Team | B. A. Baracus | 97 episodes |
| 1983 | Diff'rent Strokes | Himself | Episode: "Mr. T and Mr. t" |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks | Episode: "The C Team" | ||
| 1983–1985 | Mister T | 30 episodes | |
| 1984 | The Toughest Man in the World | Bruise Brubaker | TV movie |
| Dean Martin Celebrity Roast | Himself | Special | |
| 1984–1988 | WWF Superstars of Wrestling | ||
| 1984 | A Christmas Dream | Benny /Santa Claus | TV movie |
| 1985 | Back to Next Saturday | Himself | TV movie |
| 1986 | Saturday Night's Main Event V | TV special | |
| 1987 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Jabberwock | TV movie |
| 1988–1990 | T. and T. | T. S. Turner | 65 episodes |
| 1989 | World Class Championship Wrestling | Himself | Episode: July 21, 1989 |
| 1990 | Straight Line | T.S. Turner | |
| 1991 | Out of This World | Himself | Episode: "New Kid on the Block" |
| 1994 | Blossom | Episode: "A Little Help from My Friends" | |
| 1994–1995 | Eek! The Cat | Mr. T-Rex | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Kids Against Crime | Himself | TBN |
| 1996 | Martin | Mr. Jenkins | Episode: "Boo's in the House" |
| 1996–1997 | Suddenly Susan | Arnie | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Malcolm & Eddie | Calvin | Episode: "The Wrongest Yard" |
| 1999 | Sabrina: The Animated Series | Alien | 3 episodes |
| 2001–2002 | Pecola | Bongo | |
| 2001 | WWF Raw | Himself | Episode: November 19, 2001 |
| 2003 | House of Mouse | Episode: "House Ghosts" | |
| 2004 | Johnny Bravo | Episode: "T is for Trouble" | |
| The Simpsons | Episode: "Today I Am a Clown" | ||
| 2006 | I Pity the Fool | 6 episodes | |
| 2010 | Finders Keepers | Gambler | Episode: "Casino Night" |
| 2011–2013 | World's Craziest Fools | Himself | BBC Three |
| 2014 | The Comeback Kids | Episode: "Gary‘s Big Break" | |
| 2017 | Dancing with the Stars | Season 24 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Celebrity Deathmatch | Himself | Video Game |
| 2011 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The 4D Experience | Earl Devereaux | Theme park ride |
| 2022 | WWE 2K22 | Himself | Video Game |
The Robert Taylor Homes were where Mr. T,Kirby Puckett, andDeval Patrick were raised. Robert Taylor Homes faced many of the same problems that doomed other high-rise housing projects in Chicago such asCabrini-Green.
...Mr. T become a bouncer at the Dingbats Discotheque in Chicago and arranged for him to enter the 'World's Toughest Bouncer Contest', the television show that launched his show business career.
1977–79: Works as a bouncer at Chicago's Dingbat's club.
Mr. T: I changed my name for respect because I watched my father being called 'boy'
Before the final match, Mr. T explained to the commentator for the event, Bryant Gumbel, that 'I just feel sorry for the guy who I have to box. I just feel real sorry for him.' Sylvester Stallone caught this second competition and was intrigued by Mr. T and that line in particular.
The games feature knuckle-whitening action-adventure, furious brawler combat, gravity-defying platforming, and environmental puzzles. The first game will see Mr. T take on Nazis and their gigantic machines in the varied universe of South American rain forests, lost ancient cities, industrial complexes and contemporary military installations. Along with Mr. T and other characters from the graphic novel, the game will feature non other than Will Wright. In this universe, Will Wright is not a top-notch game designer but a top-notch American geneticist who was kidnapped and coerced to work on a diabolic plan.Status: Cancelled
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