More from this creator
Other episodes by Kitty Cat.
More like this
If you liked this, try these.
Transcript
The full episode, in writing.
In 1982, a man with a mohawk and nearly forty pounds of gold chains stepped into the ring as Clubber Lang in Rocky III and stared down Sylvester Stallone. The punch he delivered wasn’t just fictional—it knocked open the door to one of the most iconic pop culture careers of the 1980s. That man was born Laurence Tureaud, in Chicago, Illinois, in 1952, the youngest of twelve children growing up in the Robert Taylor Homes, one of the largest public housing projects in America.
Laurence Tureaud’s father, Nathaniel Tureaud, was a minister, but he left the family when Laurence was just five years old. That left Laurence’s mother to raise twelve children in a three-room apartment. The Robert Taylor Homes were notorious for crime and poverty—problems that shaped the young Laurence’s worldview. He later shortened his name to Lawrence Tero, and when he turned eighteen, he legally changed his last name to T. He said the choice was about respect, recalling that as a child he watched his father, uncles, and even his older brother returning from Vietnam still being called “boy” by white people. He decided, “When I was old enough to fight and die for my country, old enough to drink, old enough to vote, 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.’”
Tureaud attended Dunbar Vocational High School in Chicago, where he became a citywide wrestling champion two years in a row and starred on the football team. He also studied martial arts, developing discipline and a love for sport. He earned a football scholarship to Prairie View A&M University in Texas, majoring in mathematics. But after just one year, he was expelled, marking his first major setback. Tureaud then worked as a gym instructor in Chicago, where he discovered a knack for working with children, a thread that would reappear throughout his later career.
In 1975, Tureaud enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Military Police Corps. After his discharge, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers but couldn’t make the team because of a knee injury. Back in Chicago, he took a job as a bouncer at Dingbats Discotheque on Rush Street, a place known for its wild crowds and high-profile clientele. Mr. T created his legendary persona during this time. He began wearing gold jewelry that he’d collected from club patrons who had lost or abandoned it after fights. He wore it as a statement and as a practical method for returning it—patrons could recognize their belongings when he stood outside.
As a bouncer, Mr. T claimed to have been in over 200 fights and to have won every lawsuit that resulted. His reputation spread, leading him into nearly a decade as a celebrity bodyguard. He charged over $3,000 a night and protected stars such as Steve McQueen, Diana Ross, and Muhammad Ali. Mr. T’s clients also included Michael Jackson, LeVar Burton, Joe Frazier, and Leon Spinks. With this fame, he was offered unusual jobs—finding runaway teenagers, collecting debts, and even assassination requests, which he turned down.
Mr. T also made a name for himself on television. He competed in tough-man contests, including “America’s Toughest Bouncer,” and won after knocking out a 280-pound opponent in less than 54 seconds. During one broadcast, he told interviewer Bryant Gumbel, “I just feel sorry for the guy who I have to box. I just feel real sorry for him.” That line inspired Sylvester Stallone to cast him as Clubber Lang in Rocky III. Stallone had first seen him on TV, and although the role was meant to be minor, Mr. T’s presence expanded it into a starring antagonist. The film grossed over $125 million at the box office—more than the combined budgets of dozens of films that year.
After Rocky III, Mr. T became a household name. In 1983, he starred in DC Cab, a Joel Schumacher comedy. The film earned $16 million at the box office with a $12 million budget, putting Mr. T at the top of the bill. That same year, NBC launched Mister T, a Saturday morning cartoon where he voiced a gym owner who helped young gymnasts solve mysteries. Over thirty episodes were produced, each bookended by live-action Mr. T delivering life lessons for children.
Mr. T’s most enduring television role began in 1983. He played Sergeant Bosco “B.A.” Baracus in The A-Team, an ex-Army commando and mechanical genius with a fear of flying. The show ran for 97 episodes and made Mr. T’s tough-guy persona an international phenomenon. At his peak, he was earning $80,000 a week for The A-Team. The show’s immense popularity led to guest spots, including a role as himself on Diff’rent Strokes and an episode of Silver Spoons. In 1984, he released Mr. T’s Commandments, a rap album aimed at kids, telling them to stay in school and avoid drugs. The same year, he released “Be Somebody... or Be Somebody’s Fool!,” a motivational video and album with Ice-T writing some of the raps.
Not everything went smoothly. After The A-Team ended in 1987, Mr. T’s career momentum slowed. In 1995, he was diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. He went into remission and joked about the diagnosis: “Can you imagine that? Cancer with my name on it—personalized cancer!” During his illness, he limited his public appearances to commercials and cameos, including a cameo in the 1999 film Inspector Gadget. He later wrote an as-yet-unpublished book about his cancer experience, titled Cancer Saved My Life (Cancer Ain’t for No Wimps). In 1987, he made headlines for cutting down more than 100 oak trees on his Lake Forest, Illinois estate, an event dubbed “The Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre” by local residents.
Mr. T’s achievements stretch beyond film and television. In 1985, he stepped into the ring for real, teaming with Hulk Hogan for WrestleMania I in Madison Square Garden. The event was a historic crossover and helped cement WrestleMania as a cultural institution. Mr. T also boxed “Cowboy” Bob Orton on NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event V and fought Roddy Piper in a boxing match at WrestleMania 2. He later appeared as a referee and enforcer in World Championship Wrestling, including at Bash at the Beach 1994 and Halloween Havoc 1994. In 2014, Mr. T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s celebrity wing by Gene Okerlund, with an acceptance speech devoted to his mother.
He became one of advertising’s most recognizable faces. Forbes reported at his peak he earned $5 million per year from endorsements. He appeared in commercials for Snickers, World of Warcraft, MCI, and Fuze Iced Tea. In November 2007, he starred in a World of Warcraft ad proclaiming, “I’m Mr. T, and I’m a Night Elf Mohawk.” In 2008, he promoted the Mr. T Flavorwave Oven on American shopping TV. A jewelry appraiser estimated the value of his trademark gold in 1983 at $43,000, but some sources claimed it was worth as much as $300,000.
Mr. T is a born-again Christian and stopped wearing his gold chains after helping with Hurricane Katrina cleanup in 2005. He felt it would be disrespectful to continue wearing gold when so many had lost everything. He’s father to three children, including comedian Erika Clarke. Mr. T also became an enthusiastic supporter of curling, attending US Olympic events in 2018 and 2022.
In 2006, he hosted the reality show I Pity the Fool, traveling across the country to solve problems and teach cooperation. In 2011, he hosted BBC Three’s World’s Craziest Fools, highlighting bizarre criminal mishaps and viral video fails. In 2015, he appeared in a home renovation show, I Pity the Tool, on the DIY Network, though only one episode aired.
In 2017, Mr. T competed in season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Kym Herjavec, and donated his winnings to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children. His catchphrase, “I pity the fool!”—originally delivered as Clubber Lang in Rocky III—became a cultural touchstone, inspiring not only TV slogans and a reality show, but also being referenced by politicians, comedians, and other celebrities for decades.