I Pity The Fool Who Doesn't Know These 7 Facts About Mr. T

There are a lot of celebrities in the world, but none are quite like Mr. T. Whether you like his acting or not, you've got to admit that he is truly one of a kind. He has done a lot in his life, but how much do you really know about the man? Let's take a look at the 80s star and see what's behind all those gold chains?

1. Do you know his real name?

Mr. T obviously wasn't born with the name 'Mr. T'. He was born on May 21, 1952, and his mother named him Lawrence Tureaud.

2. Did you know he joined the military?

Tureaud enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the Military Police Corps. He was promoted to squad leader but that didn't mean he didn't get in trouble from time to time. At one point he was assigned to "chop down trees" as a punishment, but his sergeant didn't specify how many. He went all out, chopping down over 70 trees in only four hours.

3. Did you realize he almost played in the NFL?

After he was discharged from the military he tried out for the Green Bay Packers. He could have made it, but he had a knee injury that prevented him from qualifying.

4. Do you know how he became Mr. T?

He developed the persona 'Mr. T' while working as a bouncer. He started collecting gold chains after customers would leave them behind in the clubs, and just wouldn't give them back. He eventually became a bodyguard. He worked for models, judges, politicians, athletes and even celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross.  

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5. Did you realize that he was once offered money to kill someone?

Because of his reputation, people would offer him strange jobs. Everything from tracking runaway teens to committing murder. "He offered me $75,000 to kill his friend. The last envelope and letter contained a round-trip airline ticket, first class, United. Plus there was $5,000 wrapped in a little package, fifty and hundred dollar bills. I tell you the honest truth, when I saw that money I didn't believe it was real," Mr. T said. This sounds like a plot line for B.A. Baracus!

6. Where is 'I pity the fool' from?

It's obviously his catchphrase, but do you remember where the line originated? It's actually from his first starring role in a movie. He played Clubber Lang in Rocky III, and while Lang is being interviewed he said, "No, I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool. And I would destroy any man who tries to take what I got."

7. Did you notice that he doesn't wear gold chains anymore?

He was helping with clean up from Hurricane Katrina back in 2005 when he realized that he didn't want to wear his gold chains any more. "As a Christian, when I saw other people lose their lives and lose their land and property ... I felt that it would be a sin before God for me to continue wearing my gold. I felt it would be insensitive and disrespectful to the people who lost everything, so I stopped wearing my gold."

Did you realize he had such an intense past?