You remember the gold. The mohawk. The "pity the fool" growl that launched a thousand playground imitations in the 80s. For a while, Mr. T wasn't just a celebrity; he was a human solar flare, a guy so famous he had his own cartoon, his own cereal, and a standing invitation to the White House to play Santa for Nancy Reagan.
But then, the spotlight dimmed. People started asking what happened to the toughest man on TV.
Honestly, the story of Mr. T then and now isn't some tragic Hollywood "where are they now" cautionary tale. It’s actually a lot more interesting than that. It’s a story about a guy who got tired of carrying thirty pounds of gold and decided to carry something else instead.
The Bouncer Who Punched His Way into Hollywood
Before he was B.A. Baracus, Laurence Tureaud was just a kid from the Chicago housing projects, the youngest of twelve. He wasn't born with the gold or the name. He gave himself the name "Mr. T" at eighteen. Why? Because he saw his father and brother called "boy" by white men, and he wanted the first word out of anyone's mouth to be "Mister."
He was a Military Police officer in the Army. He chopped down 70 trees in a few hours once because a sergeant tried to "punish" him. The guy was a machine.
Then came the bouncer years. He started wearing the gold because people would lose it in fights at the clubs, and he’d wear it so they could come back and claim it. Eventually, he just kept adding to the pile. It became a suit of armor.
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Stallone and the Big Break
Sylvester Stallone saw him on a televised "Toughest Bouncer" competition and knew he’d found his Clubber Lang for Rocky III. The role was supposed to be tiny. Mr. T turned it into an icon. That one line—"I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool"—changed his life forever.
The A-Team Era: 80,000 Dollars a Week
By the time The A-Team hit the air in 1983, Mr. T was pulling in $80,000 an episode. That was massive money back then. He played B.A. Baracus, the mechanic who was afraid of flying but could build a tank out of a lawnmower and some scrap metal.
He was the face of the show, which reportedly caused some friction with George Peppard, the "Hannibal" of the group. Peppard was an old-school movie star; T was a phenomenon.
But even at the height of the fame, the cracks were showing. He was working 14-hour days. He was a brand, not just a man. He had to be "Mr. T" 24/7.
The Battle Nobody Saw Coming
In 1995, the tough-guy image hit a wall. Mr. T was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma. It’s a rare form of cancer, and for a man who built his entire career on being indestructible, it was a physical and spiritual gut punch.
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"I used to say, 'I believe in God,'" he told an interviewer later. "But after cancer, I started saying, 'I depend on God.'"
He went into remission in 2001, but the experience fundamentally changed him. He didn't want the gold anymore. He didn't want the ego. He realized that all the jewelry in the world couldn't buy him another breath.
Why he stopped wearing the gold
If you see him today, the chains are gone. People think he lost his money or went broke. That’s not it. In 2005, after seeing the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, he felt it was "sinful" to wear millions of dollars in gold while people were losing their homes and lives. He took it off and never looked back.
Mr. T Today: Life at 73 in 2026
So, what is he doing right now? As of early 2026, Mr. T is living a remarkably quiet, disciplined life. He’s 73 years old, and honestly, the man still looks like he could bench press a small car.
He recently made his first-ever fan convention appearance at Fan Expo Dallas, where he spent hours talking to fans not just about the A-Team, but about his faith and his mother. He doesn't just sign an autograph and move on; he gives motivational speeches.
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- He’s a minister now. He spends a lot of time preaching and working with youth organizations in Chicago and beyond.
- Health is his obsession. He’s active on social media, sharing tips about "clean fueling" and staying mobile. He’s a big advocate for mental health awareness these days too.
- The Voice stays busy. You might not see him, but you hear him. He’s done voice work for everything from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to various animated series and commercials.
He’s active on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, but he’s not chasing clout. He’s mostly posting scriptures and encouragement. He seems... happy. Which is rare for 80s icons.
The Legacy of the Mohawk
When we look at Mr. T then and now, we see a guy who successfully navigated the most dangerous transition in Hollywood: moving from a caricature to a human being.
He still has the mohawk. That’s non-negotiable. He chose that look after seeing a Mandinka warrior in National Geographic, and it remains his tribute to his African roots. But the man underneath the hair is a lot softer than the guy who tried to take down Rocky Balboa.
Actionable Insights from the Legend
If you want to take a page out of the Mr. T playbook for your own life, here’s the "Pity the Fool" philosophy for 2026:
- Respect is earned, not given. He changed his name to ensure he was treated with dignity. You define how people address you.
- Health is the real wealth. After a cancer battle, he realized the gold chains were heavy, but a healthy body is light. Focus on your "fuel," as he calls it.
- Know when to pivot. He walked away from the jewelry and the "tough guy" paycheck when it no longer aligned with his soul.
- Give back. Whether it's through his ministry or just staying for the last fan in line, T's later years are defined by what he gives, not what he has.
The chains might be in a safe somewhere, but the "Mister" is still very much in the building. He survived the 80s, survived cancer, and survived the fickle nature of fame. That's a win in any book.
To keep up with his latest updates, you can follow his official social channels, but don't expect drama. Expect a lot of capital letters, a lot of exclamation points, and a whole lot of faith.
Next Steps:
- Check out his recent interview on TBN's Praise for the full story on his spiritual journey.
- Look for his voice-over work in upcoming animated projects—he’s still one of the most recognizable baritones in the industry.