Television · 1983–1987
B.A. Baracus, The A-Team
The mechanic-muscle of NBC’s biggest action hour. Five seasons, one black van, and a phobia of flying that birthed a hundred sleeping-pill gags.
NBC · 98 episodes
Tribute · est. 1952
Laurence Tureaud Mr T.
Bouncer turned bodyguard, turned Hollywood heavyweight. A celebration of the man, the mohawk, and the unmistakable voice that taught a generation to “be somebody, or be somebody’s fool.”
- 0Born in Chicago
- 0Youngest of children
- 0Seasons of A-Team
- 0WrestleMania I
The man behind the mohawk
From the South Side to Hollywood Boulevard.
Born Laurence Tureaud in 1952, Mr T grew up the youngest of twelve children in a three-room tenement on Chicago’s South Side. He worked the doors of nightclubs, served in the U.S. Army Military Police, and turned bodyguard for the world’s most famous people — long before Hollywood ever called.
When Sylvester Stallone spotted him on “America’s Toughest Bouncer,” the world met Clubber Lang. A year later, B.A. Baracus rolled into living rooms in a black-and-red GMC van, and a pop culture legend was set.
- Born
- 21 May 1952 · Chicago, Illinois
- Stage names
- Mr T · “The Baddest Man on the Planet”
- Signature roles
- B.A. Baracus · Clubber Lang
- Catchphrase
- “I pity the fool.”
Iconic roles
Three turns that made him untouchable.
From a brawling boxer who outpunched Apollo Creed to a softie‑with‑a‑mohawk who feared planes more than gunfire, Mr T built characters that refused to be forgotten.
Film · 1982
Clubber Lang, Rocky III
The breakout. Stallone hand-picked him after seeing his bouncer chops. The match was carnage; the “pity the fool” line became scripture.
United Artists
Animation · 1983–1986
Mister T, the cartoon
Saturday-morning gold. A coach-by-day, mystery-solver-by-everything-else, leading a gymnastics team and dispensing motivational speeches before the credits.
NBC · Ruby-SpearsI pity the fool who doesn’t respect his mother.Mr T · The A-Team
From the archive
All media →
Television, talk-shows and a thousand PSAs.
Mr T on Carson · 1983An early late-night appearance after Rocky III. Source: Johnny Carson Archive.
Anti-drug PSA · 1980sA snapshot of the “Mr T’s Commandments” era of broadcast public service.