One of the signature figures of 1980s culture was Mr. T. Born as Laurence Tureaud, he had a unique look, with his copious jewelry and a Mohawk hairstyle that he said was inspired by African Mandinka warriors. He had a phrase that everyone knew: “I pity the fool.”
He got his big break when he was competing on an NBC show called Games People Play that was running a segment called “America’s Toughest Bouncer.” He caught the eye of Sylvester Stallone, who cast Mr. T as his opponent, Clubber Lang, in the 1982 movie Rocky III. During the NBC competition Mr. T had told interviewer Bryant Gumbel, “i just feel sorry for the guy that I have to box.” In Rocky III that line was sharpened into “I pity the fool.”
And the rest in pop culture history.
From Rocky III Mr. T landed a role on the NBC action show The A-Team. He was in the main event of the very first Wrestlemania, forming a tag team with Hulk Hogan. He became a pitchman for many companies, including Snickers, Atari, Comcast and Radio Shack. It seemed like he was everywhere.
The photos in this collection hint to that ubiquity. The celebrities he is pictured with include Drew Barrymore when she was fresh off E.T., Pee-wee Herman, Lionel Richie, Gene Hackman, Bob Hope (wearing a Mr. T. costume) and fellow Wrestlemania celebrity Cindy Lauper.
He was a crowd-pleaser. That may be why the LIFE’s photo of Mr. T with his ring-covered fingers stretched toward the camera is one of the best-sellers in the Life Photo Store.
Mr. T, 1982.
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Mr. T posed with musician Lionel Richie.
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Mr. T and George Peppard, co-stars on the television show The A-Team.
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Mr. T with Bob Hope.
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Mr. T with actress Drew Barrymore, 1984.
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Mr. T with Paul Reubens, a k a Pee Wee Herman, and The Fat Boys at the premiere of “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” 1985.
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Mr. T. with fellow actor Gene Hackman, 1991.
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Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T
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Mr. T reads his autobiography, 1984.
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Actor Mr. T
UNITED STATES – JULY 01: Actor Mr. T
Mr. T in 1982, when the former bouncer was making the leap to pop culture superstardom thanks to his role in the movie “Rocky III.”
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Mr. T, 1982.
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Mr. T, 1982.
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Mr. T
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