Mr. T facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mr. T
Mr. T at the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014
Born	Laurence Tureaud (1952-05-21) May 21, 1952 (age 73) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actor wrestler television personality
Years active	1980–present
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Mr. T
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Billed weight	236 lb (107 kg)
Debut	March 24, 1985
Retired	December 27, 1994
Signature

Laurence Tureaud (born May 21, 1952), known to the world as Mr. T, is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. He is famous for playing B. A. Baracus in the 1980s TV show The A-Team and the boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 movie Rocky III.

Mr. T is also known for his unique look. He has a special hairstyle inspired by Mandinka warriors from West Africa, wears lots of gold jewelry, and has a tough-guy personality. His famous catchphrase, "I pity the fool!", was first said by his character Clubber Lang. It became so popular that he used it for his own reality show, I Pity the Fool, in 2006.

Early Life and Finding His Name

Mr. T was born Laurence Tureaud in Chicago, Illinois. He was the youngest of twelve children and grew up in a small apartment. His father was a minister.

When he turned 18, he legally changed his name to Mr. T. He said he wanted a name that would make people show him respect from the very first word they said.

Tureaud as a senior in high school in 1970.

In high school, Mr. T played football, wrestled, and studied martial arts. He was the city wrestling champion for two years in a row. He earned a football scholarship to Prairie View A&M University but left after his first year.

After college, he joined the United States Army and served in the Military Police. Later, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers football team, but a knee injury kept him from making the team.

Becoming Mr. T

In the late 1970s, Mr. T worked as a bouncer at a nightclub in Chicago. This is where he created his famous persona. He started wearing gold chains that customers had left behind. If someone wanted their jewelry back, they could get it from Mr. T, who wore it right out front.

His work as a bouncer led to a new career as a bodyguard. For almost ten years, he protected famous people like Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Muhammad Ali.

Mr. T also competed in "tough-man" competitions. He won a contest called "America's Toughest Bouncer" on NBC. During an interview for another competition, he said he felt sorry for his opponent. This inspired the famous line "I pity the fool" in the movie Rocky III.

Acting and Rise to Fame

A wax figure of Mr. T as B. A. Baracus from The A-Team at Madame Tussauds in London.

Mr. T got his big break when actor Sylvester Stallone saw him on the "America's Toughest Bouncer" show. Stallone cast him as the main villain, Clubber Lang, in Rocky III. The role was small at first but grew because Mr. T was so impressive.

The A-Team

His role in Rocky III led to his most famous part: Sergeant Bosco "B. A." Baracus in the TV series The A-Team. The show was about a team of ex-Army commandos on the run for a crime they didn't commit.

B. A. Baracus was the team's tough guy and a mechanical genius, but he was famously afraid of flying. The character became a huge fan favorite and made Mr. T a star.

Work for Children

Mr. T as Santa Claus at the White House with First Lady Nancy Reagan in 1983.

Mr. T used his fame to create positive messages for kids. In 1983, his own cartoon show, Mister T, started on NBC. In the show, he owned a gym and helped a group of gymnasts solve mysteries and fight crime. Each episode ended with Mr. T giving a lesson to the viewers.

In 1984, he made a video called Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!. In it, he gave children advice on topics like appreciating their background, dressing well without expensive brands, and handling peer pressure. He also released a rap album called Mr. T's Commandments to encourage kids to stay in school.

Wrestling Career

Mr. T with Hulk Hogan at the first-ever Wrestlemania.

Mr. T joined the world of professional wrestling in 1985. He teamed up with Hulk Hogan in the main event of the very first WrestleMania I and they won. This made him a big star in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).

He then had a boxing match against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 2, which he also won. He later appeared as a special guest referee in the WWF.

Over the years, he made appearances in other wrestling companies like WCW. In 2014, Mr. T was honored for his contributions to wrestling by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Mr. T during an interview in London in 2009.

Mr. T is a born-again Christian. He has three children: two daughters and a son.

In 1995, he was diagnosed with a type of cancer. After his recovery, he wrote a book about his experience called Cancer Saved My Life.

After helping with the clean-up following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he decided to stop wearing most of his gold chains. He felt it was disrespectful to the people who had lost everything.

Mr. T often refers to himself in the third person and is known for speaking in rhymes. He has said that boxer Muhammad Ali is his hero and a major inspiration.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Mr. T para niños

• Mr. T Cereal