Laurence Tureaud was born in Chicago in 1952. He was the youngest boy in a family of 12 children. As he grew up his imposing physique and stern facial expression made him a perfect fit for his first couple of jobs, club bouncer and personal bodyguard. You may know of Laurence Threaud as Mr. T.
In 1982, Mr. T had a life changing event. Sylvestor Stallone cast him as Clubber Lang in the movie Rocky 3. Clubber Lang was the tough who was the next opponent of scrappy underdog Rocky Balboa. That was followed by a TV gig as a member of the A Team, a popular series that lasted for four seasons, from 1983 to 1987.
By then Mr. T was so popular he had his own cereal:
In 1986, Mr. T joined the WWE predecessor World Wrestling Federation as a professional wrestler. At one time, he was the tag team partner of Hulk Hogan. Just a different type of acting role, one might say.
Mr. T was famous for his hairstyle, a Mohawk like cut that was inspired by the Mandinka warriors of West Africa. He was famous for the long and loud gold jewelry that he used to adorn himself with. And he was famous for the expression “I pity the fool,” originally uttered by Clubber Lang in Rocky 3, trash talk aimed at Rocky Balboa.
Let’s start with the gold. In a 2016 interview with USA Today reporter Charlotte Wilder, he said the gold “is symbolic of my African heritage. When my ancestors were brought from Africa, they were shackled by their neck, their wrists, and their ankles by steel chains. And they were sold on the slave block for chump change. So I turned the steel chains to gold to symbolize that I’m still a slave, only my price tag is higher.”
And the gold disappeared after he volunteered in New Orleans in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina: “…as a Christian, I felt it would be a sin against God to wear my gold when the people lost everything. I remember the bodies floating in the water, and I felt it would be disrespectful and insensitive to people who died, so I said I’d never wear my gold again. Only gold I have is the gold in my heart.”
Mr. T experienced another life changing event in 1995 when he was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma. He would undergo several rounds of chemotherapy but would eventually have a full recovery. Looking back on that experience, he later told People Magazine (March 2017) he relied on his faith in God.
“I had to practice what I preached. I try to use my experience and the fact that I grew up in the ghetto — I tell people you don’t have to rob or steal to get out of the ghetto. I was diagnosed with cancer — I tell people you don’t have to commit suicide. We’ve got good medicine now. I want people to draw strength from me.”
Following his diagnosis, Mr. T scaled back his acting career. He has continued to do some product promotion campaigns and has had a few TV appearances. In 2006 he starred in a reality show named “I Pity the Fool.” Dave Mason of Scripps-Howard News Service (Oct. 12, 2006) describes the show:
“For his new reality show, Mr. T motivates people to work together. For example, he went to a dance school where an overwhelmed teacher wasn’t doing the best job for the kids. Mr. T said he encouraged the parents to help the teacher, and as an exercise in cooperation, he had the teacher, parents and students do a car wash together.
“‘Mr. T stands for Mr. Tough when it comes to the bad guys,” Mr. T said, his voice still rhythmic. “But Mr. T stands for Mr. Tender when it comes to women and children.” Mr. T, who regularly visits a Los Angeles homeless shelter, shows both his tender and tough sides for I Pity The Fool. The reality show, in which Mr. T goes around the country to motivate youths and adults to do better together, premiered on TV Land.”
Mr. T has stepped back from the public eye, but he is hardly a recluse. He does motivational speaking, some product sponsorship stuff and some charity events, especially if they involve children.
In 2017 he appeared on the TV show ‘Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars.” He and his partner, an Australian ballerina, did not win. More importantly, he donated his earnings to two children’s hospitals.
Mr. T, now 71, remains a deeply religious man. He has a home in the city of his birth as well as one in Albuquerque. You can catch up with him on the site formerly known as Twitter. Many of his tweets are biblical quotes. But you can also catch a glimpse of what he’s up to.
Here’s Mr. T voting.
Here he’s respecting his teachers.
And saluting vets on Memorial Day
And here he is back in the neighborhood of his birth getting ready to hand out shoes to children.
off the leash 
One of my absolute heroes growing up. Love this post, love Mr. T.
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I knew absolutely nothing about Mr. T other than the A Team so thanks for this. Opposite to what he portrayed, he was a compassionate man. Maggie
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I saw him about 6 months ago doing a commercial.
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💯
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Laurence Tureaud gets around
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He is one of some people I was wondering what happened to them. Thank so much for the post.
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Mr. T has fared better than some of the other people you’ve profiled in your Whatever Happened To? series. He comes across in your article as very genuine.
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Everyone loved Mr. T. He was no fool.
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late 80’s His wife Pink RR shopping mall N Chicago
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Mr. T. I love the way you honored your mother. I have one son myself and two daughters. My two daughters have given their lives to Christ. Of course they’re still growing, but my son feels like if There is a God, then why didn’t he keep you and daddy from having a divorce. I said two people are human beings and don’t always make good decisions. I said I had to lose your daddy because I loved him too much and was putting God on the back burner. The Bible says anybody you put before him will not go to heaven. God loves me enough that he wants me to go to heaven so I had to learn that. And I thank God for loving me that much.
if you ever go to the Philippines, let me know that’s where he lives now, but his wife a few months. They are sitting right on the Pacific Coast and he has become a rice farmer with his in-laws, chicken farmer, and a pig farmer. He is very hard-working. Yeah would’ve gotten along great if y’all were in the same circle.
Who feels slighted because his daddy didn’t take that much time with him. Actually he was his shield and his excuse to leave the house and go meet other women. So he resents that. So they don’t talk much. He loves him dearly. But they just don’t talk much. I talk my children no matter what happens with your dad and I, your dad loves you and you are to love your dad. So they have an annoyed.
I live in a greater Houston area right now. I miss him. He lived in three other countries before he moved there last year. I don’t know what I’m gonna see him again in person. We FaceTime a lot.
I am remarried, and they all love my husband who has made up for all the hard times I’ve had with their dad. Although,…!
Samson II & his Filipino wife are desperate to have children. So in the meantime, they are treating their two cats, as though they are babies. One of them is expecting a bunch of kittens.
The first time I ever left my hometown after finishing in high school, was when I went to the job for 6 months in Albuquerque, New Mexico.🇲🇽
Pat (D.) Jefferson
As I sit here writing this, Joyce Meyers on TV praying for children all over the world and saying the devil cannot have our children. I agree. In Jesus name. Amen.🙏🏼
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always loved watching A team I’m exactly like him when it comes to planes, but I know his is acting mine is real . Actually just watching him know in Rocky 3
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