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Before leading a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at the seventh-inning stretch of the Cubs game, Mr. T practiced in the press box with starstruck journalists and staffers.
He wanted to nail the “root, root, root” cadence and put extra emphasis on the line, “I don’t care if I never get back!”
He sported a Cubs uniform with No. 14, in honor of Ernie Banks, and matching blue Converse Chucks embroidered with yellow T’s. He wore an American flag bandana instead of his famous Mandinka-inspired hairstyle, and a single gold crucifix in place of his signature stacked neck chains. He’d thrown out the ceremonial first pitch at the start of the game, and would soon leave Wrigley Field to make an appearance at the Fan Expo Chicago convention in Rosemont.
“Boy, it’s double pressure,” said the 74-year-old superstar and Chicago native. “First the pitch, now the singing. But that’s all right. I’m the man for it. I can do it.”
Though it had been more than 15 years since his last pitch for the Cubs, the left-hander did a fine job. (“It made it over the plate before bouncing, so that was good,” he said.) He tickled the crowd with his singing, which he wrapped up by shouting his iconic tagline, “I pity the fool!” And he delighted convention attendees by patiently signing autographs and telling stories on a panel with actor Dolph Lundgren, aka Ivan Drago from “Rocky IV.”
The whole day was a treat for those who grew up admiring Mr. T’s tough persona as he portrayed Clubber Lang in “Rocky III,” B.A. Baracus in “The A-Team” or himself at “WrestleMania.” He was quick to offer a photo, handshake, hug or prayer to people, whom he promised to “never let down.” His nervousness about performing well was not about vanity, but showing up for his fans.
“I just want to be good for the people,” he said. “I want to be there to uplift them.”
The public appearance was rare for Mr. T, who lives in the South Loop and also has a residence in Los Angeles. Locally, he was last spotted at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s funeral. He recently practiced his pitching at his alma mater, Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, but he was in disguise.
“They didn’t know it was me,” he said. “I had a skull cap on.”
Lately, he has been making the rounds on the Fan Expo circuit, which also includes events in Philadelphia and Toronto. And he is gearing up to do promotion for his Netflix documentary, “Untold Mr. T: I Pity The Fool,” which comes out on Sept. 8.
“I’ve got two speeds,” Mr. T said. “I’m on and I’m off. When I’m on, nobody is better. When I’m off, I’m waiting to get back on.”
He was certainly on at the Cubs game, charming fans and cracking jokes.
“You are my childhood!” one fan screamed. “I love you!”
“Mr. T, why do you hate Rocky?” another fan asked.
Without missing a beat, Mr. T. shouted, “They paid me to hate him!”
From humble beginnings to ‘The Blues Brothers’ and ‘Rocky’
Mr. T’s old stomping grounds are about a dozen miles southeast of Wrigleyville; he grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes Project in Bronzeville. His family lived in impoverished conditions, which he intentionally discusses with young people.
“I use that as a boost to say, ‘It’s not where you come from, it’s where you’re going,’” he said. “I didn’t quit. I never robbed anybody. I never joined a gang. I didn’t do drugs.”
Born Laurence Tureaud, he was motivated by his mother, Willa Lee Tureaud, who raised him and his 11 siblings, and instilled values of faith and generosity in them.
“When you see me, you’re looking at a big, overgrown, tough, butt-kicking mama’s boy,” he said.
Mr. T also grew up with a strong sense of racial pride. He would go on to model his hair after styles worn by Mandinka warriors in West Africa and wear jewelry, in part, to reference the chains of his enslaved ancestors. And, at 18, he legally changed his name to command respect in the face of racism.
“As a Black man growing up in white society, I watched my father being called a boy,” he said. “I watched my uncle being called a boy. I watched my brother, a Marine coming home from Vietnam wearing his uniform, being called a boy. So, I self-ordained myself Mr. T., so the first word out of everybody’s mouth would be ‘Mr.’”
After serving in the Army National Guard and in the Military Police Corps, Mr. T worked security at Dingbats nightclub on the Near North Side. He also served as a bodyguard for celebrities coming into town, working with Steve McQueen, Donna Summer and even Michael Jackson.
“He was just a cool, shy kid – just humble,” Mr. T said of Jackson.
Mr. T’s first acting gig was in “The Blues Brothers” as an extra in the famous car chase scene in Daley Plaza.
“I got $35 and free lunch that day,” Mr. T said, laughing.
Mr. T got his big break after winning a “toughest bouncer” competition on the NBC series “Games People Play.” He caught the eye of Sylvester Stallone, who cast him in “Rocky III.” From there, Mr. T built a 40-year career in film, TV, wrestling and even music.
But Mr. T said he was most concerned with using his fame to give back, whether it was donating his competition earnings to his pastor, visiting terminally ill children or using his own battle with cancer in the 1990s to inspire others.
“I say, ‘God, use me,’” he said. “‘I don’t know who I’m going to meet today, but I pray that when they see me, let them see you. When they hear me, let them hear you.’”
He said he wishes his Netflix documentary had included more about his faith and Cosmopolitan Community Church, where he has worshiped since the 1970s.
“People get the wrong idea, that Mr. T is just some goofball,” he said. “So I’ve got to force the issue.”
While riding in the car to Fan Expo Chicago, Mr. T quietly read his Bible, which he also carried into the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Once he arrived, he rested briefly in the green room, said hello to other celebrity guests, including William Shatner, and took the stage for his panel. Afterward, he and his team playfully hijacked a golf cart to get to the autograph-signing section.
“This is something I would do on ‘The A-Team!’” Mr. T said, laughing.
At the end of the day, he chatted with fans as he signed posters, dolls, hats and even a Mr. T cereal box.
“I want each person to know that I looked them in the eyes and that I love them,” Mr. T said. “I want them to feel good.”
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Erica Thompson
Chicago Sun-TimesArts and culture reporter
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