Mr. T has always seen himself as a protector of his family. The actor and former wrestler now shares more about that role in a new Netflix documentary. He recalls a frightening attack on his mother that pushed him into what he called “crazy mode.” His story also shows how his family turned difficult years into a source of strength.
Mr. T admitted he went totally “crazy” after his mother was held up at knifepoint in Chicago
In Untold Mr. T: I Pity The Fool, Mr. T looks back at his childhood in Chicago, Illinois. Born Laurence Tureaud, he grew up as the second youngest of 12 children. He said family life taught him to protect his mother and sisters. “You got to be tough,” Mr. T told PEOPLE.
He said he was away from home when someone robbed and threatened his mother with a knife. One of his sisters called him and told him what had happened. “I wasn’t at home when it happened, so I felt that I didn’t do my job,” he explained. He said his brothers had trained together for situations in which someone might attack them.
When his sister told him what happened, Mr. T said he went into “crazy mode.” “Somebody is going to pay,” he recalled saying. He added, “I’m dedicated like the Secret Service is dedicated to the President. I’m the same way with our mother.” He also admitted one regret, saying, “‘Vengeance is mine, said the Lord.’ So I went against Him,” before adding, “they shouldn’t have touched my mother, case closed.”
He said his family once laughed about how poor they were because they survived. “The only three meals we had was oatmeal, no meal, and miss a meal,” he shared. He later said, “We was poor financially, but we was rich spiritually,” crediting his mother for teaching the family gratitude.
Untold Mr. T: I Pity The Fool premieres globally on Netflix on September 8.
