Mr. T Is an Excitable Guy

Mr. T stopped by to catch up with the crew and was immediately disappointed with co-host Robin Quivers’ separated studio. “Why you in the glass, baby?!” he wondered Wednesday morning. The actor went on to discuss everything from his his challenging early days to his career, and even signing autographs.

Remaining standing and seemingly hyper, Mr. T tried his best to answer questions about his rough roots. “We were so poor, we couldn’t pay attention,” he noted before explaining that while growing up in a tough neighborhood made him a fighter, it didn’t make him a bad person. “I’ll fight you. If you hit me, I’ll fight you. I’m bad that way…I survived cancer. I survived the ghetto. I survived drugs. I survived racism. I’m fighting!”

Howard asked if Mr. T ran into scammers or trouble when he returned to his old Chicago neighborhood, but he laughed it off with one of his trademark phrases. “I pity the fool but I’m not a fool,” he said before revealing even the most egregious hater gets a second chance. “I’d give ’em a chance. First I say, ‘What’d you say?’ Then I give ’em a chance to apologize.”

Mr. T was dismissive when asked if he’d ever crossed paths with President Barack Obama, another of Chi-town’s favorite sons. “I come from hardcore, he come from Harvard,” he explained.

Looking Back at ‘Rocky’ and ‘The A-Team’

Asked about his role in “Rocky III,” Mr. T said he’d remained abstinent while training for the film. “I stayed away from women for about 6 months,” the actor admitted. “I stayed in training. That’s what separates the winners from the losers—discipline.”

When Howard mentioned the hit show “The A-Team” Mr. T jumped ahead. “Two things I liked about ‘The A-Team’: 1. When I was doing it, they paid me a lot of money. 2. We always had a plan,” he remarked.

Mr. T also joked that he didn’t agree to appear, like the rest of the original cast, in “The A-Team” remake in solidarity with the late George Peppard. “If George didn’t, I ain’t,” he said. “I follow my leader.”

Still, Mr. T frequently returns to his old work. “When I work and my work is done, I go home. I sit on my couch. Put my remote on. I watch ‘The A-Team’ re-runs,” he explained. “I watch ‘A-Team’ re-runs because those times were so wonderful. I say, ‘Man, look it!’ I say, ‘Boy, I love it when a plan comes together.’ I say, ‘Man, look at us!’ Then I say, ‘Man, look at B.A.! Wasn’t he awesome?’ All of that gold.”

He Will Sign Your Shit

When Howard asked if Mr. T ever tired of signing autographs, it sparked another epic rant. “See, that’s what the T stands for,” he noted. “To the women and children, it stands for ‘Tender.’ To the bad guys and thugs—POW!—it stand for ‘Tough.’ I’m tough when I have to be, tender when I should be. I never gets tired of signing autographs. You know why? I have a short name—Mr. T!”