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Credit: courtesy image<\/p>\nCredit: courtesy image<\/p>\n
MegaCon is back in Orlando this week for four full days of celebrities, cosplay, vendors, panels, meet-and-greets and pop-culture overdrive. There are some impressive guests this year \u2014 from John Cena to Gillian Anderson,\u00a0 John Carpenter to Liv Tyler \u2014 but one of the names that jumped out to us most was 1980s icon Mr. T.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes, The A-Team and Rocky III star is bringing his tough-but-fair love to MegaCon this weekend, his first time at the massive fandom fest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Born Laurence Tureaud, Mr. T grew up in a family of 12 on welfare in Chicago, Illinois. He tells Orlando Weekly that his faith helped guide him out of poverty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was 9 \u2026 I drew a picture and showed it to my mother,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cI said, \u2018Mama, one of these days I\u2019m gonna be big and strong \u2026 I\u2019m gonna buy you a beautiful house, and I\u2019m gonna buy you pretty dresses.\u2019 And my mother hugged me and started crying, saying, \u2018If that\u2019s the Lord\u2019s willing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He lived up to the promise he made to his mother, taking up boxing and football throughout school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 1975, he enlisted in the army. Following his discharge, Mr. T became a bouncer at the Rush Street nightclub Dingbats. It was there that he picked up the gold-jewelry-clad, mohawk-topped Mr. T persona. A series of tough-man competitions brought him into the spotlight, eventually leading to notoriety in acting and pro-wrestling. (And even his own Saturday-morning cartoon.)<\/p>\n
The 1980s powerhouse legally changed his last name to \u201cT\u201d and adopted the \u201cMr.\u201d to command the respect his father and brothers never received. More than 40 years after his career first took off, Mr. T continues to spread his spirit and serve the community.<\/p>\n
While he portrayed Herculean roles like B. A. Baracus in The A-Team and antagonistic characters like Clubber Lang in Rocky III, Mr. T explains that \u201cdeep inside, I\u2019m an old-fashioned mama\u2019s boy. I love my mother, and I always talk about her with the highest regard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. T\u2019s soft side is evident in his work with children\u2019s hospitals. He explains that this opportunity has had the greatest impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to [the hospital], the kids got excited and I prayed for them,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cI worked with the Starlight Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation with little kids who were sick or terminally ill, and they requested to meet me. All the characters that these kids could have seen, they wanted to meet me, the tough Mr. T. That\u2019s when my life changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalls children who toured production sets, captivated by his iconic look. \u201cI would drive them around in the van, let them play with my jewelry, let them play with my mohawk,\u201d Mr. T says, \u201cI said [to them], \u2018I\u2019m honored that you want to meet
me.\u2019\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
He explained that his spirituality helps him stay removed\u00a0 from the intense characters he portrayed. \u201cI can break a board, because I studied martial arts,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cThen I can go to the hospital, and a mother asked me to hold her baby, to pray for her baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
At MegaCon, Mr. T is ready to meet his fans and show them who he is beyond the screen. \u201cThey start off as a fan,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cThen they get a chance to really get to know who I am and what I represent.\u201d<\/p>\n
The multi-generational connection to Mr. T\u2019s work is prominent at events like MegaCon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the \u201980s, they grew up with me,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to meeting them as much as they look forward to meeting me. They might say, \u2018Oh, Mr. T, you\u2019re so frightening in Rocky III, but my father told me you\u2019re a nice guy.\u2019 It\u2019s special. My career has sort of gone full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. T states several times that having people know his name is humbling, and it is an honor to have a platform. \u201cI try to use my status for the good, you know,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cI would go to the homeless shelter, quietly bring food and wouldn\u2019t make a grand deal. Watch me do it quietly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Mr. T, the celebrity he has gained allows him to perform acts of kindness. \u201cI can feed the hungry. I can lift someone\u2019s spirit. I can give them hope,\u201d Mr. T says.<\/p>\n
A defining moment of Mr. T\u2019s career came when his message reached kids from backgrounds like his own. \u201cI grew up in the ghetto, but I never robbed nobody. I\u2019m a respected person now,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cI\u2019m sending a message to the kids who are going through poverty: You don\u2019t have to rob to get over it. Do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even as he gears up for four days of MegaCon action, Mr. T is putting in the work to make the experience memorable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m preparing myself for when I come to Orlando,\u201d Mr. T says. \u201cYou won\u2019t see me say, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m tired of these people. I need a break.\u2019 No, I\u2019m going to be rested for them. I want to love them. I want to lift these spirits. I want to give them a big hug. I want them to never forget the moment that they met me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans can see Mr. T at MegaCon Thursday through Sunday and say hello, get a hug, score an autograph, snap a selfie or get a pro photo. If you miss out on the latter potential Christmas card opportunity, we pity you, fool.<\/p>\n
MegaCon: Thursday-Sunday, March 19-22; Orange County Convention Center; 9800 International Drive; fanexpohq.com\/megaconorlando<\/a>; $28-$600.<\/p>\n Orlando\u2019s daily dose of what matters. Subscribe to The Daily Weekly.<\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tBuilding upgrades are complete at the Princeton Street headquarters\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tThe Bottom brothers struggle to write a hit play whilst living in Shakespeare\u2019s shadow\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tThe 67th annual iteration of the prestigious affair\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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