Lawrence Tureaud: The Man Who Changed The World
Who is Lawrence Tureaud? Most people in the world don’t know this name. The world knows him by his nickname, Mr. T. People know him by his role in Rocky III as Clubber Lang, but Tureaud wasn’t just a movie star. Tureaud was a military veteran, professional football player, and was apart of wrestling mania. As a small town boy, Lawrence Tureaud pushed through a tough childhood into a life of stardom and fame, and may have changed the world of entertainment forever.
The childhood of Lawrence Tureaud (Mr. T) was eventful. He was born on May 21, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. He had a big family of twelve: four sisters and seven brothers. (“Mr. T” IMDb). A few years after being born, the Vietnam War between the Northern and Southern Vietnam, the Viet …show more content…
Cong, and the United States started. In this war many American lives and Vietnamese civilians lives would be lost as well. (“Vietnam War” History). Though eventually growing up to have a short stint in army, the war had never really affected the life of Lawrence Tureaud. Growing up in Chicago, he had a very hard childhood. When he was very young, his dad left the family. Around the time John F Kennedy was shot and murdered in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. While riding in the back of car in a parade, he got shot in the head by Lee Harvey Oswald from a nearby building. (“Death of the President” JFK Library). He had to support his family at a young age. He attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy. Lawrence became high superstar for the football team and the wrestling team. He was very well known in high school as an athlete. After high school, Lawrence was went to Prairie View A&M University in Texas on a athletic scholarship. His major was in mathematics. Tureaud was expelled after one year of attending A&M University in Texas. Tureaud had to something with his life at the time. (“Mr. T” Biography). At that he found the military. He became a military policemen. Tureaud, after awhile of being in the military, got promoted to Squad Leader of his platoon. After making a mistake deemed as an “undisclosed offense”, he was punished by his Sergeant, and was sent to a forest to cut down trees. His leader did not specify how to cut down, so he cut down 70 trees in a span of three and a half hours. After being discharged, Tureaud tried out for the NFL team the Green Bay Packers of Wisconsin. Tureaud would have made the team, except for a terrible injury to his knee, that had end his short NFL career with the Packers. (“Mr. T” Famous Veterans).
The adult years of Lawrence Tureaud.
Being nearly broke Tureaud had to find a job. Just as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin put their feet on the moon for the first time ever, on July 20, 1969. This was one the biggest achievements of American history. (“One Giant Leap for Mankind” NASA). He got a job as a club doorman. Eventually Lawrence became so popular with his toughness. With his rising popularity came the better jobs too. He began a celebrity bodyguard charging very large amounts of money a night. He worked for Diana Ross, Steve Mcqueen, and Muhammad Ali. While watching a bouncer competition Sylvester Stallone spotted Lawrence Tureaud in the competition. Stallone needed an actor at the moment for his new movie Rocky III, and with Tureaud’s rough and tough personality, he made a perfect nemesis for his movie. So, he casted Lawrence Tureaud as Clubber Lang in Rocky III. At which he coined the phase “ I pity the fool!” After this, Lawrence Tureaud was an overnight sensation. Everybody loved his personality in the movie. All film directors wanted him in their movie. This is how he got in the acting business. After this he acted in D.C. Cab, Mister T, The A-Team, and more. The A-Team might have been one of his biggest hits. The show was about four vet’s who help civilians while running from the law for a crime they did not do. His outrageous personality in the show made it a big success in the United States. (“Mr. T” Biography). He also sang music for kids such as Mr. T’s
Commandments. Mr. T’s Commandments was a great series of songs to teach children about what’s right. Each song was a new subject involved, some songs he taught about what is love and lessons about it, another about not talking strangers and how to stay safe as a child in the streets, honoring your parents with respect and loyalty to grow up into a well-rounded person, doing homework and getting done on time, so job are easier when their older, how to respond to someone asking them to do drugs and to not do them. These songs made kids really think before they act. (“Mr. T’s Commandments” Waldbillig). After the peak in his career Lawrence Tureaud slowed. He limited his public appearances to TV commercials. When diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma. He went into slumber pretty much. When he began regain health, he came back to the entertainment world making appearances in movies such as Inspector Gadget and The Proud Family. Tureaud now spends his time in between his two houses in Chicago, Illinois, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. (“Mr. T” Biography).
“Mr. T as a Life Coach? It was only a matter of time.” explained how Mr. T or Lawrence Tureaud was inspirational to anyone and everyone. As New York Times points that out in an article about him. They said Mr. T puts the spice in a TV show or movie. He is remembered as a legend and superhero to the minds of everybody. New York Times also talks about how he teaches people the basic rules about life. The obnoxious personalty was not annoying to humanity, but loved by humanity. It was over the top, in a good way. (“I Pity the Fool” NYTimes). Although growing up with a tough childhood, Mr. T may have changed the entertainment and acting world. He not only changed entertainment, but made a great life out of little. He went from a high school athletic star, to a military vet, to an acting idle. Today, people still use his “I pity the fool!” quote from Rocky III. With his music, he may have taught and changed the lives of many children. He may not be an inspiration, but he entertained humanity for many years and he will always be remembered in the world.
The childhood of Lawrence Tureaud (Mr. T) was eventful. He was born on May 21, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. He had a big family of twelve: four sisters and seven brothers. (“Mr. T” IMDb). A few years after being born, the Vietnam War between the Northern and Southern Vietnam, the Viet …show more content…
Cong, and the United States started. In this war many American lives and Vietnamese civilians lives would be lost as well. (“Vietnam War” History). Though eventually growing up to have a short stint in army, the war had never really affected the life of Lawrence Tureaud. Growing up in Chicago, he had a very hard childhood. When he was very young, his dad left the family. Around the time John F Kennedy was shot and murdered in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. While riding in the back of car in a parade, he got shot in the head by Lee Harvey Oswald from a nearby building. (“Death of the President” JFK Library). He had to support his family at a young age. He attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy. Lawrence became high superstar for the football team and the wrestling team. He was very well known in high school as an athlete. After high school, Lawrence was went to Prairie View A&M University in Texas on a athletic scholarship. His major was in mathematics. Tureaud was expelled after one year of attending A&M University in Texas. Tureaud had to something with his life at the time. (“Mr. T” Biography). At that he found the military. He became a military policemen. Tureaud, after awhile of being in the military, got promoted to Squad Leader of his platoon. After making a mistake deemed as an “undisclosed offense”, he was punished by his Sergeant, and was sent to a forest to cut down trees. His leader did not specify how to cut down, so he cut down 70 trees in a span of three and a half hours. After being discharged, Tureaud tried out for the NFL team the Green Bay Packers of Wisconsin. Tureaud would have made the team, except for a terrible injury to his knee, that had end his short NFL career with the Packers. (“Mr. T” Famous Veterans).
The adult years of Lawrence Tureaud.
Being nearly broke Tureaud had to find a job. Just as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin put their feet on the moon for the first time ever, on July 20, 1969. This was one the biggest achievements of American history. (“One Giant Leap for Mankind” NASA). He got a job as a club doorman. Eventually Lawrence became so popular with his toughness. With his rising popularity came the better jobs too. He began a celebrity bodyguard charging very large amounts of money a night. He worked for Diana Ross, Steve Mcqueen, and Muhammad Ali. While watching a bouncer competition Sylvester Stallone spotted Lawrence Tureaud in the competition. Stallone needed an actor at the moment for his new movie Rocky III, and with Tureaud’s rough and tough personality, he made a perfect nemesis for his movie. So, he casted Lawrence Tureaud as Clubber Lang in Rocky III. At which he coined the phase “ I pity the fool!” After this, Lawrence Tureaud was an overnight sensation. Everybody loved his personality in the movie. All film directors wanted him in their movie. This is how he got in the acting business. After this he acted in D.C. Cab, Mister T, The A-Team, and more. The A-Team might have been one of his biggest hits. The show was about four vet’s who help civilians while running from the law for a crime they did not do. His outrageous personality in the show made it a big success in the United States. (“Mr. T” Biography). He also sang music for kids such as Mr. T’s
Commandments. Mr. T’s Commandments was a great series of songs to teach children about what’s right. Each song was a new subject involved, some songs he taught about what is love and lessons about it, another about not talking strangers and how to stay safe as a child in the streets, honoring your parents with respect and loyalty to grow up into a well-rounded person, doing homework and getting done on time, so job are easier when their older, how to respond to someone asking them to do drugs and to not do them. These songs made kids really think before they act. (“Mr. T’s Commandments” Waldbillig). After the peak in his career Lawrence Tureaud slowed. He limited his public appearances to TV commercials. When diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma. He went into slumber pretty much. When he began regain health, he came back to the entertainment world making appearances in movies such as Inspector Gadget and The Proud Family. Tureaud now spends his time in between his two houses in Chicago, Illinois, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. (“Mr. T” Biography).
“Mr. T as a Life Coach? It was only a matter of time.” explained how Mr. T or Lawrence Tureaud was inspirational to anyone and everyone. As New York Times points that out in an article about him. They said Mr. T puts the spice in a TV show or movie. He is remembered as a legend and superhero to the minds of everybody. New York Times also talks about how he teaches people the basic rules about life. The obnoxious personalty was not annoying to humanity, but loved by humanity. It was over the top, in a good way. (“I Pity the Fool” NYTimes). Although growing up with a tough childhood, Mr. T may have changed the entertainment and acting world. He not only changed entertainment, but made a great life out of little. He went from a high school athletic star, to a military vet, to an acting idle. Today, people still use his “I pity the fool!” quote from Rocky III. With his music, he may have taught and changed the lives of many children. He may not be an inspiration, but he entertained humanity for many years and he will always be remembered in the world.