Dorri Partain
Northeast News

I pity the fool who does not remember Mr.T!

At the height of his popularity, actor/wrestler Mr. T appeared in movies, television programs, a cartoon, and his own brand of breakfast cereal.

Born Laurence T. Tureaud, he played college football and served in the US Army as a Military Policeman before working as a bar bouncer in Chicago.

Along with his persona as “Mr. T,” he cultivated a distinctive style that included a mohawk hairstyle inspired by African Mandikan warriors, heavy gold chains, sleeveless shirts, and combat boots.

A chance meeting with actor Sylvester Stallone led to his being cast in the role of boxer Clubber Lane in the 1982 film, “Rocky III,” where he first used the catchphrase, “I pity the fool.”

Next, he was cast as a member of the NBC television series, “The A-Team,” which debuted in January 1983 as a mid-season replacement.

Along with co-stars George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Shultz, Mr.T played the role of Sgt. Bosco (Bad Attitude or B.A.) Baracus in a plotline as Vietnam veterans, wrongly accused of a crime, who encountered individuals in need of help.

Due to Mr. T’s gruff but caring persona and appeal to children, he next appeared in a self-titled Saturday morning cartoon series that aired on NBC from September 1983 to May 1986.

Produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises, Mr. T was cast as a coach to a young gymnastics team that traveled and encountered various mysteries that through teamwork they were able to solve.

The cartoon cast included the team bus driver, Mrs. Bixby, Spike, a youngster who emulated Mr. T, and Bulldozer, a dog owned by Mr.T that sported his own mohawk.

In 1984, Quaker Oats introduced a Mr. T cereal that featured the cartoon version of the actor on the box; the sweetened corn and oat cereal pieces were shaped like the letter T.

Prizes, like the stickers shown, were included in each cereal box and cautioned users not to place them on furniture or walls.