He Had A Message
When nightclub bouncer and bodyguard Mr T catapulted to fame in Rocky III, it seemed like a textbook case of “flash in the pan”. Against all odds, this tough-talking, muscle-bound, gold jewelry-wearing character leveraged his 15 minutes of fame into a lifetime of celebrity. There was an unexpected secret to his success: he had a message to give, and it was one that Americans needed to hear.
1. He Was From A Large Family
Mr T was born Laurence Tureaud in Chicago, Illinois, on May 21, 1952. It was a large family, and Mr T was the youngest son out of 12 children. They all grew up in a three-room apartment in public housing. His father, Nathaniel Tureaud, was a minister.
Mr T’s life was about to turn upside down.
2. He Faced An Early Loss
When Mr T was just five years old, his father up and left. This left Mr T’s mother with 12 little ones to raise on her own. Maybe prompted by his father’s abandonment, Mr T changed his name to “Lawrence Tero”. But there was another bigger name change coming soon.
3. He Excelled
While attending Dunbar Vocational High School, Mr T soon realized that his future lay in sports. He studied martial arts and joined the school football and wrestling teams. He excelled in wrestling and was the wrestling champ for the city twice. Soon, he was at Prairie View A&M University on a scholarship and majoring in math.
And then it all fell apart.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
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4. He Wanted Respect
While in university, Mr T had time to reflect. He remembered that the men in his life had often been referred to as “boy”. It disturbed him, especially because those using “boy” were always white people. Mr T had a plan to make this habit stop with him. He changed his name to “T” and put a “Mr” in front of it, that way every time someone spoke to him, it started with a term of respect.
Mr T was getting political, but this would soon lead to trouble.
5. He Protested
While attending university, Mr T participated in school riots. When a group of protesters started destroying property, breaking into buildings and torching state vehicles, the university expelled Mr T and other protesters. The school administration denied Mr T, who was vice president of his freshman class, reentry into the university. Mr T’s days of academia were over.
He had to find something new.
6. He Worked With Kids
Since he was so heavily into athletics, an obvious choice for Mr T was as a gym instructor. But he didn’t become a personal trainer; he worked for a government program at a Chicago gym where he worked with children. During this time, Mr T found that he had a passion for helping kids.
None of his students had any idea that their gym teacher would become a Hollywood legend.
7. He Maintained The Order
Next, Mr T decided to give military life a shot. When he arrived, the first noticeable thing about Mr T was his intimidating physique. They had a job just for him. He was responsible for "enforcing discipline on the base”. Mr T was already intimidating, but this role gave him a chance to create an intimidating personality to match his body.
Mr T was quickly becoming a man not to mess with. Next, he had to turn that into a career.
8. He Tried Professional Sports
The National Football League was a place that could use an intimidating man with a big body. Mr T quickly lined up a tryout with the Green Bay Packers. Sadly, a knee injury prevented him from making the team. Like his university career, this was another dream that had a short life.
Mr T was running out of options.
9. He Fought A Lot
With few other prospects, Mr T turned to a career as a bouncer. He got his first job at the Dingbats Discotheque in Chicago. This was a tough job, and Mr T said that he got in more than 200 fights working there. Some of his combatants even took him to court, but he never lost a case.
Working as a bouncer was instrumental in creating the character of Mr T.
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10. He Found His Uniqueness
One strange perk of being a bouncer is the found jewelry, often left behind after a fight. Of course, the club wanted to make sure that patrons had a chance to reclaim anything they lost while partying. So, Mr T started wearing as much of the jewelry as he could. That way, rowdy partygoers could easily find their missing trinkets without having to show their face inside the club.
Everyone around the Chicago club scene knew Mr T as the bouncer who wore copious amounts of jewelry. Soon, the entire country would know him.
11. He Was Sentimental
Wearing copious amounts of jewelry became Mr T’s thing. Sure, it was born in his days as a bouncer, but soon the jewelry took on new meaning. Some of his jewelry displayed his name, and others had more sentimental value as they were gifts from his mother.
Next, he’d work on his hair.
12. His Hairstyle Was Born
Mr T’s first idea about his hair was to get it shaved into the shape of a “T”. Sadly, this idea crashed and burned. With a mess on his head, Mr T turned to a National Geographic magazine. There, he found a photo of a Mandika warrior with a mohawk. Mr T knew that this was the haircut he wanted. One that would push his style and pride one step further.
So far, Mr T’s look was coming across as kind of random.
13. He Created A Character
Mr T was now sporting a mohawk, and the large amounts of gold jewelry over his shoulders and chest created an arresting image. To say he was intimidating would be a huge understatement. For his personality, he had his military background to fall back on. And then there was his strong, muscular body.
Mr T had created a unique character. Now he had to do something with it.
14. He Worked For The Stars
It’s not clear if moving from being a bouncer to a security guard was a step up, down, or lateral. But soon Mr T elevated his status as a security guard with celebrity clients. Because of his unusual look, famous people like Steve McQueen, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson were soon asking for his services as a bodyguard. Boxers like Muhammad Ali also wanted Mr T around.
And then things just got weird.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Got Odd Requests
The more people saw Mr T protecting celebrities, the more they thought he could solve other problems. Some people contacted him to locate missing persons, runaway teens, and even to help them collect debts. He even got an offer to off someone. But Mr T knew what he was. He was a bodyguard, and he was loyal to the people he took care of.
But soon he’d want a taste of celebrity for himself.
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16. He Tasted Fame
Mr T's first taste of fame came from the world of professional wrestling. In the early 1980s, he took his unusual look, added a few theatrics and voila, he was the WWF’s next star. He faced formidable opponents like Hulk Hogan and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Besides his muscles, fans loved his tough talk.
With his unusual look, Mr T had found something that helped him stand out. He was ready to take on Hollywood.
17. He Got Noticed
In 1980, Mr T was on an NBC show where they were searching for America's toughest bouncer. One person watching this show was Rhonda Young. She was a casting agent looking for someone tough enough to face off against Rocky Balboa in Rocky III. She’d already rejected Joe Frazier because he had a stutter and Earnie Shavers because his voice was too high.
Young called the producer at NBC and asked about the guy in the mohawk.
18. He Brought His Character With Him
Of course, the part of Clubber Lang in Rocky III did not fully resemble the character Mr T had created. But Mr T was such a complete package that the filmmakers let the character of Mr T take over in the film. They knew that Mr T was already a pretty big draw, and that this could only help the film.
Of course, the big question still remained: Could Mr T act?
19. He Went Big
In Rocky III, Mr T was basically playing a character very close to himself, and managed to pull that off. Where he really excelled was in the intense fight scenes. To make the scene more authentic, Mr T told Johnny Carson that he and Stallone had made an agreement. They were going to “go all out”.
20. Audiences Went Wild
Mr T and Stallone going “all out” worked. Audiences loved the intense fight scenes in Rocky III. But they also loved Mr T’s image and his hyper-confident line delivery. There was one thing that everyone agreed was the best thing about Mr T, which was when he said, “No, I don’t hate Balboa, but I pity the fool”. Mr T now had it all: a look, a film career and a catch phrase that he’d stick with for 30 years.
It seemed like nothing could stand in his way. And then something did.
21. He Stood Out For The Wrong Reason
Unlike the first Rocky, Rocky III wasn't about to collect many awards. Sadly, for Mr T, there was one that stood out. The Golden Raspberry Awards found it necessary to nominate Mr T for their The Worst New Star award. Luckily, he lost to Pia Zadora, who took home this trophy and Worst Actress for her work in Butterfly.
But there was another critic that was much closer to home.
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22. He Got Told Off
For the premiere of Rocky III, Mr T didn’t show up with a Hollywood star or model on his arm; he arrived with his mother. All was going well until the scene where Mr T had to yell an inappropriate remark at Rocky’s girlfriend, Adrian. Hit mom didn’t like the sound of that. She admonished her son for talking to a “lady like that” and left the theater.
Maybe to please his mother, Mr T’s next venture was more wholesome.
23. He Was Part Of The Pitch
In the early 1980s, NBC exec Brandon Tartikoff had an idea for a new show. He pitched the idea to Rockford Files creators Frank Lupo and Stephen J Cannell. While the pitch contained references to movies like The Dirty Dozen and Mad Max, it also had the tag: “with Mr T driving the car”. Tartikoff had seen Mr T in Rocky III and loved him.
Mr T was in from the beginning, and this show was going to be big.
24. He Went In With Little Experience
Cannell and Lupo accepted the premise for The A-Team and got down to work. They nailed down Breakfast at Tiffany' s actor George Peppard for the lead role in this series about a group of ex-soldiers who farm themselves out as heroes for people in need. Mr T had only a smidge of acting experience.
This fact would lead to trouble.
Screenshot from The A-Team, Universal Television (1983-1987)
25. He Became The Focus
The action series The A-Team did not call for high-level dramatic acting, but having a real movie star like Peppard on board brought the level up a bit. Peppard disliked Mr T, who had gained fame more for his persona than for his acting skills. When Mr T started to become the focus of the show, Peppard lost his cool.
Screenshot from The A-Team, Universal Television (1983-1987)
26. He Stole The Show
After a while, most of the fan mail for The A-Team was ending up in Mr T’s mailbox. This put Peppard in a foul mood. And then an interesting fact came out: Mr T’s paycheck was also higher than Peppard’s. The producers intended the show to center on Peppard, but Mr T began to hog the spotlight.
The feud was on.
Screenshot from The A-Team, Universal Television (1983-1987)
27. He Got A New Name
Things were getting so bad between Mr T and Peppard that Peppard stopped talking to Mr T. He would only relay messages through their co-star Dirk Benedict. Peppard wouldn't even use Mr T’s name. He simply called him “the man with the gold”. It didn’t matter. Mr T had become the star of The A-Team, and he wasn’t shy about reaping the rewards.
Screenshot from The A-Team, Universal Television (1983-1987)
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28. He Was Bad For Kids
Mr T was riding the fame from The A-Team, and he took his career in a weird direction. He created his own breakfast cereal. This product came from Quaker Oats and featured bite-sized Ts. It also contained a lot of sugar and used this grammatically incorrect phrase, “I pity the fool who don’t eat my cereal.”
But Mr T’s goal was to help kids as much as he could.
Screenshot from The A-Team, Universal Television (1983-1987)
29. He Was Animated
In 1983, Mr T embarked on an animated series. In Mister T, he plays a coach who, with a group of young people, travels the world solving mysteries. Mr T voiced his character and also went live at the beginning and end of each episode. This was where he would explain the moral lesson to the kids.
Mr T’s next venture was going to be one that parents kept their children far away from.
Screenshot from Mister T, Warner Bros. (1983-1986)
30. He Did An Adult Comedy
Around this same time, Mr T found himself in the R-rated ensemble comedy DC Cab. Even though the cast included names like Gary Busey and Bill Maher, it was Mr T’s eye-catching look that dominated the advertising. DC Cab was a critical failure but did well at the box office.
But a lot of people were wondering: what was Mr T doing in an R-rated film?
Screenshot from DC Cab, Universal Pictures (1983)
31. He Made Amends
Maybe Mr T was feeling a little guilty for appearing in the for-adults-only DC Cab. When he didn’t need to be on set, Mr T visited prisoners in correctional facilities and sick children in hospitals. Speaking to kids was not just a side gig for Mr T. He took his role as a mentor very seriously.
Next, he’d spread his message through music.
Screenshot from DC Cab, Universal Pictures (1983)
32. He Spoke To Kids
Mr T was riding his 15 minutes of fame and decided to launch a music career. Mr T’s Commandments is a rap album, but it doesn’t share the same message as others in the genre. Here he gives advice to kids about doing their homework, not talking to strangers, and the evils of drink and drug use. Musically, the album received horrible reviews, with many calling it amateurish.
Next, Mr T would drop the music and just stick to speaking the truth.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
33. He Motivated
Mr T had been sending out his message of goodness through films, TV, and music. Now it was time to just speak it straight. He decided to become a motivational speaker. His positive message wasn’t just for kids; he also spoke to businesses. He used his own rags-to-riches story and gave examples from his strict childhood. In 1984, he had a motivational video called Be Somebody…or Be Somebody’s Fool.
With all this going on, Mr T was becoming a very rich man. It was time to spend some of that hard-earned money.
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34. He Found His Dream Home
In 1987, it was time for Mr T to move into his dream home. The seven and a half-acre location was Lake Forest, which is a suburb of Chicago. This area is famous for its nature and received the moniker “Tree City USA”. When Mr T woke up with an allergic reaction one morning, he knew what he had to do.
And it would anger his neighbors.
35. It Was A Day Of Carnage
Mr T was pretty sure he knew what had caused his allergic reaction. Of course, it was the trees. The only solution seemed to be to take out a chainsaw. In the end, he was responsible for the destruction of around 100 oak trees. These were trees that some considered sacred.
Mr T was about to feel the wrath of his neighbors.
36. He Thought It Was A Joke
Naturally, Mr T annoyed his neighbors in Lake Forest. They were pretty sure that Mr T was laughing and thinking it was all a big joke. They also weren't buying the “allergic reaction” excuse. One expert said that to deal with his allergies, Mr T would have to destroy trees even in neighboring states. Don’t give him any ideas.
They named this incident “The Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre”. You could call this next debacle “the case of the invisible man”.
37. He Was AWOL
In 1993, Mr T wound up in a black comedy called Freaked. If you haven’t seen it, you shouldn’t feel surprised. It only had a release on two screens in America. The film is set in a sideshow, and Mr T plays the requisite bearded lady. In the middle of shooting the film, Mr T mysteriously disappeared.
Screenshot from Freaked, 20th Century Fox (1993)
38. He Had A Problem With The Costume
The filmmakers of Freaked needed Mr T on set, and no one knew where he was. They finally located him at his home in Chicago. Apparently, Mr T would not be returning to the set. When asked why, he simply said, "I don't wanna wear the dress no more”.
Sadly, Mr T would have another, much more serious reason to stay home.
Screenshot from Freaked, 20th Century Fox (1993)
39. He Got A Diagnosis
In 1995, doctors came to Mr T with a sad diagnosis. He had cancer. Mr T’s tough guy image was about to come face-to-face with an enemy that no amount of tough talk and gold jewelry could easily best. Mr T was now 43 years old, and he was facing the battle of his life.
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40. He Fought Hard
Mr T’s type of cancer seemed tailor-made for his brand. It was T-cell lymphoma. But the treatment was no joke at all. He dove into severe chemotherapy, which caused him to lose his trademark mohawk and his other trademark: his bulging muscles. Mr T turned to his family and his faith.
They, and the doctors, were his only hope.
41. He Tough Talked Cancer
During his battle with cancer, Mr T did not back down on the tough talk. One of his key lines during this time was “Cancer picked the wrong guy to mess with!” He went through months of chemo and, against all odds, came out of it and into remission. This gave Mr T another area to be inspirational about.
Mr T said that his family had helped him through his battle with cancer. Strange thing: no one knew much about them.
42. He Had A Family
One thing that Mr T kept secret was his family life. He married Phyllis Clark back in 1971. She managed to stay under the radar, as Mr T made his meteoric rise to superstardom. The marriage produced three children—Lesa, Erika, and Laurence—who all took Mr T’s original surname: Tureaud.
But being the child of Mr T had some disadvantages.
43. His Daughter Had A Problem
Mr T’s middle child, Erika Tureaud, followed in her dad’s show business footsteps. She became a stand-up comedian and changed her name to Erica Clark. Clark said that when she was growing up, it was hard to tell friends that her dad was Mr T. The fact is, people rarely believed her. Her comedic response to that was: If I were lying, “why would I pick him?”
Mr T’s wife kept herself under the radar, but she had her one moment of infamy, and it was embarrassing.
44. She Made A Run For It
In 1997, Mr T’s wife, Phyllis Clark, had some trouble in her car. Officers were trying to give her a speeding ticket when she decided to make a run for it. During the chase, Clark managed to collide with not one but two of the officer's vehicles. Because of her bizarre behavior, they took her in for psychiatric evaluation.
Clark had some thinking to do, and so did Mr T.
45. He Took Off The Jewelry
In 2005, Mr T had a major change to his brand. The horrors of Hurricane Katrina led him to abandon his love of gold jewelry. He said it somehow seemed like “an insult to god”. Surprisingly, he later became a spokesperson for the company Cash4Gold. This company encouraged the public to trade their gold jewelry for cash.
But there was one place where gold still appeared in his life.
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46. He Ate With Class
One of Mr T’s favorite places to eat is Harry Caray’s restaurant in Chicago. As a customer, servers describe him as a good tipper who was kind enough to people seeking autographs as long as they didn’t disturb him while he was eating. He did have one quirk: he brought his own gold forks, knives, and spoons to eat with.
Mr T was never going to return to wearing gold, but there was one side of his character that he would never let go of.
47. Don’t Mess With His Name
The name “Mr T” is as much of his character as the gold jewelry and the haircut. While some performers revert to their original name when not working, Mr T does not. When asked for his real name, Mr T’s typical response is, "My first name is 'Mr', my middle name is 'period', last name is 'T'". I pity the fool who gets that wrong.
I also pity the fool who offers Mr T a small role.
48. He Wasn’t Going Back
When it came time for an A-Team movie, of course, Mr T was high on the list to appear. The thing was, they only wanted him for a cameo. Mr T’s very succinct message was that Mr T doesn't take seconds. He also later criticized the film for its violence and suggestive scenes, which was more graphic than anything in the original series. If Mr T was going to continue to appear in the media, he was going to do it on his own terms.
And that meant reality TV.
49. He Dispensed Advice
In 2006, Mr T delved into reality television, and he borrowed his own catchphrase, “I pity the fool”, for the title. In the show, Mr T gets to do what he does best: he intervenes in people’s lives in an attempt to improve them. His message was always positive and given in his legendary no-nonsense style. It’s a pity, but I Pity the Fool ran for only one season.
One thing about Mr T, though, is that he always manages to rise again.
50. He Stuck With It
Because of Mr T’s outrageous look and personality, many believed his career would be very limited. Mr T surprised everyone by maintaining his place in pop culture for decades. If he needed confirmation of his fact, it came in 2005. The nightclub bouncer-turned-media phenomenon got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That doesn’t sound like a flash in the pan to me.
Robert Cianflone, Getty Images
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
