MR. T.
Mr. T was born Laurence Tureaud on May 21st, 1952, in the rough south-side ghetto of Chicago. He is the second to youngest of twelve children (he has four sisters and seven brothers) and grew up in the housing projects of Chicago. Mr. T's brothers encouraged him to build up his body in order to survive in the area. His mother is a religious woman who has had a strong influence on him.
He was a college football star, studied Martial Arts, and was three- time city wrestling champion. He won a scholarship to Prairie View A&M University in Texas then went to college in Chicago on athletic scholarships.
He changed his name in 1970 to Laurence Tero and later to Mr. T so that people would have to address him as "Mr." It was whilst reading National Geographic that Mr. T first saw the hairstyle for which he is now famous on a Mandinka warrior. He felt that adopting the style was a powerful statement about his origins.
His career in Entertainment began when he was employed as a bodyguard for such stars as Muhammed Ali, Leon Spinks, Michael Jackson, Steve McQueen, Diana Ross and LeVar Burton. When he wasn't working as a bodyguard, he filled in by working as a bouncer.
In 1982, Mr. T was 'spotted' by Sylvester Stallone; he was on the TV show Games People Play, taking part in The World's Toughest Bouncer. Mr. T was the defending -champion.
His role in Rocky III was originally intended as just a few lines, but Stallone built up the part around the man. Mr. T also appeared in another boxing film, Penitentiary 2, and in a cable TV special, Bizarre, before accepting his most notable role as Sergeant Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus in The A-Team. He also starred in his own television series T. and T.
Mr. T had his born-again faith tested when, in 1995, he was stricken with a rare form of T-cell lymphoma that had him in radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The struggle led him to write a biography titled “Cancer Saved My Life”. Sadly, while in remission, Mr. T lost his brother to the same disease last year.
At present, Mr. T continues to be very active in community work and can often be found in MacLaren Hall, Los Angeles; a shelter for abused children. "There's no telling how many lives you can turn around," says Mr. T. He is very conscious of his responsibility toward the children who admire him and never drinks, smokes or takes drugs of any kind. "You gotta be your own original." That's probably Mr. T's most valuable statement.
Mr. T resides in California where he splits his time between his birth-home in Chicago, where his mother still resides and Los Angeles.
He was a college football star, studied Martial Arts, and was three- time city wrestling champion. He won a scholarship to Prairie View A&M University in Texas then went to college in Chicago on athletic scholarships.
He changed his name in 1970 to Laurence Tero and later to Mr. T so that people would have to address him as "Mr." It was whilst reading National Geographic that Mr. T first saw the hairstyle for which he is now famous on a Mandinka warrior. He felt that adopting the style was a powerful statement about his origins.
His career in Entertainment began when he was employed as a bodyguard for such stars as Muhammed Ali, Leon Spinks, Michael Jackson, Steve McQueen, Diana Ross and LeVar Burton. When he wasn't working as a bodyguard, he filled in by working as a bouncer.
In 1982, Mr. T was 'spotted' by Sylvester Stallone; he was on the TV show Games People Play, taking part in The World's Toughest Bouncer. Mr. T was the defending -champion.
His role in Rocky III was originally intended as just a few lines, but Stallone built up the part around the man. Mr. T also appeared in another boxing film, Penitentiary 2, and in a cable TV special, Bizarre, before accepting his most notable role as Sergeant Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus in The A-Team. He also starred in his own television series T. and T.
Mr. T had his born-again faith tested when, in 1995, he was stricken with a rare form of T-cell lymphoma that had him in radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The struggle led him to write a biography titled “Cancer Saved My Life”. Sadly, while in remission, Mr. T lost his brother to the same disease last year.
At present, Mr. T continues to be very active in community work and can often be found in MacLaren Hall, Los Angeles; a shelter for abused children. "There's no telling how many lives you can turn around," says Mr. T. He is very conscious of his responsibility toward the children who admire him and never drinks, smokes or takes drugs of any kind. "You gotta be your own original." That's probably Mr. T's most valuable statement.
Mr. T resides in California where he splits his time between his birth-home in Chicago, where his mother still resides and Los Angeles.
