The Life and Times of Mr. T Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Born Laurence Tureaud in Chicago, the man the world knows as Mr. T has lived a truly full life. He legally changed his name to Mr. T in 1970 at age 18. He did not do it because "Mr." stands for "Murder," as some might guess, but so that people would always have to address him with respect. He had seen his father and uncles called "boy" and swore that would never happen to him.

Before becoming a superstar, his early path was tough. After winning three city wrestling championships in high school, he earned a football scholarship to Prairie View A&M University in Texas, where he studied mathematics. However, he was expelled from the university for protesting in February 1971. He had served as freshman class vice president and joined roughly 1,000 students in an uprising over strict campus curfews and administrative policies, leading the school to deny readmission to him and 126 other protesters. Following his time in college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a military policeman.

After his discharge, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers as a linebacker in 1976. Despite having no prior pro experience, he impressed coaches with his raw strength during training camp. However, a knee injury cut his NFL dreams short before he could make the final roster. Despite his unique look, he did not get his start as a fashion model for Gucci. Instead, he worked as a tough Chicago nightclub bouncer, where he began wearing gold chains left behind by customers, and later served as a bodyguard for celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross for nearly a decade.

His Hollywood journey began with an uncredited role in his very first movie, "The Blues Brothers," released in 1980. Filmed on location in his hometown of Chicago, the musical comedy credited him simply as "Guy on Street" during a crowded street scene. His big break arrived with the "Rocky" franchise after Sylvester Stallone spotted him winning NBC's "America's Toughest Bouncer" competition. While he did not play Apollo Creed in "Rocky I" (that was Carl Weathers), he was cast as the primary antagonist, Clubber Lang, in 1982's "Rocky III." Originally intended to have just a few lines, his role was expanded into the ferocious boxer who briefly takes Rocky's heavyweight title. His famous catchphrase, "I pity the fool!" actually comes from his role in "Rocky III," not from "The A-Team."

Speaking of "The A-Team," the hit 1980s TV show was specifically written for Mr. T after NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff pitched a series to creator Stephen J. Cannell centered around Mr. T driving a van. He starred as Sergeant B.A. Baracus, the team's tough mechanic who was terrified of flying, across five seasons from 1983 to 1987.

At the height of his 1980s fame, he was everywhere. He even played Santa Claus at the White House in December 1983 at the personal invitation of First Lady Nancy Reagan. During the holiday event, he delighted onlookers by letting the First Lady sit on his lap and giving her a kiss on the forehead for the cameras. Not long after, he stepped into the ring and teamed up with Hulk Hogan to fight in the main event of the first-ever "WrestleMania I" in March 1985. Held at Madison Square Garden with Muhammad Ali serving as a special guest referee, the match saw Mr. T and Hogan defeat "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, launching professional wrestling into the mainstream.

In 1995, Mr. T faced a major personal health battle when he ironically contracted T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. He underwent years of difficult treatments before the cancer finally went into remission in 2001. After he beat the disease, he joked about it, saying, "Can you imagine that? Cancer with my name on it, personalized cancer!" In 2005, to the shock of his many fans, he gave up wearing his signature heavy gold chains, which often weighed up to 40 pounds altogether. He did not stop wearing them to honor cancer victims, though. He gave them up out of respect for the victims of Hurricane Katrina after volunteering in New Orleans and feeling it would be insensitive to wear gold around people who had lost everything.

Today, Mr. T enjoys a quieter life. He is a proud father to three kids, including his daughter, Erica Clark, who works as a stand-up comic. Performing regularly at comedy clubs and festivals across the country, she often incorporates humorous stories about growing up with her famous, protective dad into her sets. He also revealed to the world that he is a huge curling fan during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. He went viral for live-tweeting his passionate commentary about the U.S. curling teams, praising the sport's strategy and declaring, "You heard me, curling Fool!"

Finally, yours truly actually met the man when he opened the first Toys R Us in Canada. I was in sixth grade, and I gave him a clay bust I made of him as he walked down the greeting line. He picked me up and gave me an "I love Mr. T" button. I still proudly have it on my cork board to this day.