Mr. T

Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952) is an actor mostly known for his roles in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as boxer Clubber Lang in the movie, Rocky III.

Acting roles and work

In The A-Team, he played Sergeant Bosco "Bad Attitude" Baracus, an ex-army commando on the run with three others members from the US government "for crimes they didn't commit". Mr. T is famous for his customized trademark Mohawk-style haircut, for the numerous gold chains, rings and bracelets he wears around his neck, fingers and wrists respectively. His catch phrase, "I pity the fool!" comes from Rocky III, where he played a boxer facing Rocky Balboa in a match. When asked if he hated Rocky, he replied, "I don't hate Balboa, I pity the fool". This exchange, also from the movie:

Related Topics:
Commando - US - Mohawk - Catch phrase

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Interviewer: What's your prediction for the fight?

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Clubber Lang: My prediction?

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Interviewer: Yes, your prediction.

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Clubber Lang: Pain!

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became another catch phrase.

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In 1982 Mr. T was spotted by Sylvester Stallone while taking part in "The World's Toughest Bouncer" contest. His role in Rocky III was originally intended as just a few lines, but Stallone built up the part around the man. "Mr. T" also appeared in another boxing film, Penitentiary 2, and in a cable television special, Bizarre, before accepting the role of B.A. in The A-Team. When asked at a press conference whether he was as stupid as B.A. Baracus, he observed quietly, "It takes a smart guy to play dumb."

Related Topics:
1982 - Sylvester Stallone - Boxing - Film - Penitentiary 2 - Cable television

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Mr. T is 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) tall and very tough looking. His gold jewelry is genuine and worth around $300,000. He acquired the jewelry during his stint as a bouncer, where he would take jewelry from disorderly people and wear them himself. His jewelry is mostly a testament to how well he performed his job as a bouncer. It takes him about an hour to put it on, and most nights he cleans it in an ultrasonic cleaner although some nights he sleeps in it "to see how my ancestors, who were slaves, felt." Mr. T sold most of his jewelry during his bout with cancer, but has appeared on television wearing his signature gold chains since then. He was once reported to be earning around $80,000 a week for his role in The A-Team and getting $15,000 for personal appearances, but by the end of the 1990s, he was appearing only in the occasional commercial, largely because of health problems. In 1995, Mr. T was diagnosed with, ironically, T-cell lymphoma.

Related Topics:
Ultrasonic - Slave - 1990s - Lymphoma

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