And Mr. T’s tough-guy reputation saw him being offered all kinds of strange and often illegal jobs. In fact, he once received a $5,000 advance through the mail by an anonymous man who wanted a target killed. The star would have collected a further $70,000 had he added hitman to his resume, but wisely he decided against taking on the job.
Mr. T first started to become a celebrity in his own right when he entered several NBC-TV tough-man contests in his late twenties. In fact, he emerged victorious as America’s Toughest Bouncer on both Sunday Games and Games People Play. And his knockout performances also impressed one particular famous viewer.
Indeed, Mr. T subsequently received an offer for a key role in Rocky III by none other than Sylvester Stallone. The tough guy played villainous opponent Clubber Lang in the 1982 chapter of the boxing franchise. And it was here where he first uttered his most famous catchphrase, “I pity the fool.”
