Mr. T is pitying the fool — or, in this case, Netflix.
The 74-year-old — who turned his celebrity bodyguard experience into a professional wrestling and acting career — is the star of a new biographical Netflix documentary, “Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool,” which premiered Tuesday.
But the ’80s icon, whose image graced cereal boxes, lunchboxes, T-shirts and more, is not too pleased with the depiction of him as a ruthless, tough-as-nails figurehead, he shared with the Guardian in the days leading up to the film’s release.
According to Mr. T, who cooperated in the making of the documentary beginning April 2025, he was not shown the finished product until a month ago.
“That documentary pissed me off, because they didn’t cover a lot of stuff. When I saw it I was like: ‘what the heck?’ ” Mr. T said to The Guardian. “It’s garbage. You build me up, then you try to punk me out.”
One example he provides to the news outlet is that his pastor was interviewed for two days, he said, but only received 30 seconds of screen time; Mr. T has long been open about his Christian faith, often posting reflections on the sermons he attends on his personal social media.
“That’s what we call, in the Black community, a white man wanting to change the story and control the narrative. If you don’t know me, you’re gonna think I’m some monster,” Mr. T shared with the Guardian.
The documentary also features his former agent, Peter Young, who makes comments about Mr. T’s involvement in the 1993 film “Freaked,” in which he played the Bearded Lady.
The two had a falling-out and, according to the “The A-Team” actor, he told documentary director Scott Weintrob not to include Young, claiming that he wanted “nothing to do with him.”
Representatives for Netflix did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
Born Laurence Tureaud on May 21, 1952, in Chicago, the actor would later legally change his name to Mr. T. He told the Chicago Sun Times last month that he grew up watching older male relatives being referred to as “boy.” He legally changed his name at 18.
“So, I self-ordained myself Mr. T., so the first word out of everybody’s mouth would be ‘Mr.,” he added.
He was expelled from Prairie View A&M University in 1971 after protesting against the expulsion of the editor of the student newspaper. In 1975, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the military police corps, receiving an honorary discharge in 1978. Mr. T then turned to Chicago’s nightlife, becoming a bouncer. It was in that role that he solidified his unique look, wearing stacks of heavy gold chains, often gathered from forgetful patrons who left them behind. He also chose a hairstyle patterned after the Mandinka warriors of West Africa — which has been commonly mistaken for a mohawk.
He transferred his bouncer skills to a bodyguard career, where he protected high-profile clients including Michael Jackson, LeVar Burton and Diana Ross.
After participating in the 1980 NBC series “Games People Play,” in a segment titled “America’s Toughest Bouncer,” the muscle man was spotted by filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, who cast him as Clubber Lang in “Rocky III.” The antagonist role gave rise to his signature catchphrase, “I pity the fool!” a quote that has become synonymous with the actor himself.
Beyond legendary roles in the 1983-87 NBC series “The A-Team” as Sgt. Bosco “B. A.” Baracus, an ex-Army commando fugitive, and as a professional wrestler with the World Wrestling Federation through the late 1980s, Mr. T is also known for his charitable contributions.
He famously gave away the money he earned after winning “America’s Toughest Bouncer” twice and donated food and clothes to homeless shelters in Los Angeles, including meals to residents on Skid Row at Thanksgiving. During his acting prime, the actor made visits to multiple children’s hospitals through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Starlight Foundation, stating in a post on X that they changed his life.
Mr. T himself was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in 1995. He battled it with chemotherapy and radiation, according to reporting from USA Today. He keeps track of his condition with checkups every four months and said his sees the experience as a way to connect with others.
He said the Netflix documentary left out many of these key life details.
“Why don’t you show Mr T working with the Make-A-Wish kids, why don’t you show Mr T being in the army?” Mr. T told the Guardian. “So we show Mr T tough, and then you show Mr T as the Bearded Lady. See, that’s an agenda. It was a hidden agenda, they had to undercut what I’m about. What a joke!”
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