Mr. T is a professional wrestler and actor from the United States. He is well-known for his performances as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III. But did you ever wonder where he got his screen name?
Mr. T. was born Lawrence Tureaud, and adopted his moniker after hearing strangers refer to all of his family members as “boys.” He decided that the only way for a black man to earn a title of respect was to make that title part of his name, so Mr. would be the first thing people said.
How Did Mr. T Gain Popularity?
Mr. T. may be remembered for his gold chains, attitude, or catchphrases, but you remember him somehow. He rose to prominence in 1982 with his appearance in Rocky III as Rocky’s nemesis Clubber Lang, then indeed became a star the following year with his role as B.A. In the hit television series The A-Team, he played Baracus. (Source: Looper)
Did Mr. T Appear in WWE?
Mr. T may have first appeared in the public eye as a fictional boxer in 1982’s Rocky III, but by 1985, the actor behind Clubber Lang had made the transition to ring wrestling. He is best known for his appearance at the first WrestleMania, where he worked as a tag-team partner with Hulk Hogan against”Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. Wonderful, a match he and Hogan won.
This sparked a years-long feud between Mr. T and Piper, who already had little respect for the actor-turned-wrestler. Some felt he’d never earned his stripes as a ring performer, which was exacerbated by the outcome of the match.
Mr. T was finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014, a show of respect that included a reunion with Piper, with whom he dramatically, finally, made peace. (Source: Looper)
Mr. T-Expendables?
Mr. T is one character who has been conspicuously absent from The Expendables franchise, which some consider being a travesty. A Facebook page called: 1,000,000 Strong for Mr. T in The Expendables 4 is a petition to Hollywood to cast the famous celebrity in the next Expendables film. However, Mr. T was overlooked during the casting of The Expendables 3 a few years ago.
Did you sleep on your Bruce Willis sheets when you were a kid? Did you eat Sylvester Stallone cereal? Did you play with an Arnold Schwarzenegger action figure or was it of a character he played? Mr. T had his own cartoon. Mr. T should be cast in the next Expendables movie,
As stated on the Facebook Page’s Mission
(Source: Mental Floss)
Where Did his Famous Line “I Pity the Fool” Come From?
Mr. T plays Rocky Balboa’s opponent Clubber Lang in Rocky III, which was written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. During a scene in the film where Lang is being interviewed about his upcoming boxing match, he is asked if he hates Rocky:
No, I don’t hate Balboa, but I pity the fool. And I would destroy any man who tries to take what I got. His prediction for the fight? Pain!
Mr. T
(Source:MentalFloss)