Mr. T Slams New Netflix Documentary as Garbage
Mr. T Denounces Netflix Documentary as Garbage
According to reporting by The Guardian and Entertainment Tonight, Mr. T cooperated with the production beginning in April 2025 but was not shown the finished product until a month before its premiere. That viewing left the former bodyguard and star of The A-Team deeply frustrated with how his life story was framed.
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 told The Guardian. It’s garbage. You build me up, then you try to punk me out.
The actor criticized the documentary for reducing his journey to a singular narrative of aggression. He told Entertainment Tonight that his story is sometimes rough and raw, gritty, and sad, but emphasized that he rose above those circumstances. He argued that if the project only showcases his toughness, it completely misses the mark on who he is. Representatives for Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Times.
Omitted Faith and Excluded Voices
A central point of contention for Mr. T involves the minimal screen time given to his religious life. According to his interview with The Guardian, his pastor was interviewed for two full days during production, yet that footage was edited down to just 30 seconds in the final release. Mr. T has long maintained a public profile centered around his Christian faith, frequently sharing reflections on sermons on his personal social media accounts.
In the Black community, as Mr. T explained to The Guardian, this represents an instance of a white man trying to rewrite the history and steer the narrative. If you don’t know me, you’re gonna think I’m some monster, Mr. T told The Guardian.
The documentary also includes commentary from his former agent, Peter Young, discussing Mr. T’s role in the 1993 film Freaked, where he played the Bearded Lady. According to The Guardian, Mr. T and Young experienced a falling-out, and the actor stated he specifically instructed director Scott Weintrob not to include Young in the project because he wanted nothing to do with him.
From Chicago Bouncer to Global Icon
Born Laurence Tureaud in Chicago on May 21, 1952, the actor legally changed his name at age 18. According to the Chicago Sun Times, he made the legal change after growing up watching older male relatives addressed as boy, deciding to ordain himself Mr. T so that the first word out of everybody’s mouth would be Mr.
His path to fame included being expelled from Prairie View A&M University in 1971 after protesting the expulsion of a student newspaper editor. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1975, serving in the military police corps before receiving an honorary discharge in 1978. Working as a bouncer in Chicago nightlife, he established his signature look with heavy gold chains left behind by forgetful patrons and a hairstyle patterned after West African Mandinka warriors.
That bouncer experience led to a bodyguard career protecting high-profile figures such as Michael Jackson, LeVar Burton, and Diana Ross. After appearing on NBC’s Games People Play in a segment titled America’s Toughest Bouncer, he was spotted by filmmaker Sylvester Stallone and cast as Clubber Lang in Rocky III, giving rise to his famous catchphrase.
I pity the fool. Street slang translates this as people acknowledging that anyone challenging them must be out of their mind, though in reality, pity signifies mercy. Pity, I’m showing I’m cutting him some slack, Mr. T explained to Entertainment Tonight.
Despite his objections to the Netflix project, Mr. T still encourages fans to watch Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool, to learn more about his life and legacy.