Born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952, in Chicago. Eleventh of 12 children (four girls, eight boys). Grew up in the Chicago housing projects. Excelled in wrestling, martial arts and football in high school. Worked as a celebrity bodyguard for several years, providing security to Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson and others. Breakout acting role came as boxer Clubber Lang in 1982 feature Rocky III, which included his trademark line, "I pity the fool." Assumed the more heroic role of B.A. Baracus in the TV series The A-Team (1983-87). Appeared in the Canadian-made series T and T (1988-90). Current host of the new cable series I Pity the Fool, in which he acts as a life coach.

Mr. T was the consummate eighties pop icon. African American who wouldn't back down to any man.

He came from nowhere to instant star status in Rocky III, in which he pummelled Sylvester Stallone (and was later pummelled himself when Rocky came bounding back).

Unlike disco, Rick Springfield and other eighties oddities, Mr. T had staying power and a good management team. The big man transferred his menacing persona over to The A-Team and imposed his positive attitude upon American youth with two rap albums, an animated series and countless toys depicting his brawny likeness. Mr. T's popularity even crossed borders: A mid-eighties appearance at Honest Ed's in Toronto caused a near-riot.

And he's back. The T-Man is returning in I Pity the Fool, a weekly series in which he imparts his feel-good message: "I show people how to work their problems out instead of sitting around and complaining."

On The A-Team, your character's initials, B.A., stood for Bad Attitude. Now, you're providing life-coaching advice. Does that sound right to you?

I'm here to motivate people. I show them how to work together, how to solve their problems. This isn't no reality show. We're not doing nothing stupid. We're not eating rats or nothing like that. It's not Survivor or Fear Factor. I'm proud to say that even though my show is called I Pity the Fool, I never call anybody a fool. I treat the people like they are humans and treat them real kind and whatnot. Some people might expect I'm beating people up, but it's nothing like that. I didn't get this far on luck.

What's the best life advice anyone ever gave you?

My mother gave me the best advice. She said, 'Son, you do your best, and God will do the rest.' It's like to thine own self be true. So every day I ask myself if I did my best. When I was in school, the teacher would tell my mother, 'He's a good student, but he can do better. He likes to play.' I wasn't a prankster or nothing like that. Once I got my work done, I would play. But I knew I had talent, I knew I was skilled, I knew I was intelligent. I would do enough just to stay on the football team. Then I decided to tighten up, 'cause when I got to college, I was on the honour roll, so I know I can do better. And even with life, I keep that in mind. I say, 'C'mon, T, you can do better, go back and try that again.'

Sylvester Stallone is working on another Rocky movie. Any chance we'll see Mr. T make an appearance?

Sly asked me about it, but I was filming the pilot episode of I Pity the Fool, so we couldn't connect. But I appreciated it. I like Sylvester Stallone, because he gave me an opportunity for Rocky III. That was my first acting job. When I was training for Rocky III, I told him, 'I'm gonna give you 150 per cent every day.' And he said, 'I know you will, T.' I was honoured and I didn't want to let him down.

Would Clubber Lang, or Mr. T, whup Rocky in a fight today?

[laughs] Nah, nah, some people try to trap me into that, y'know? But I have humility and my mother taught me that you don't bite off the hand that feeds you. So when people ask me could you beat up Rocky, I tell them, 'No way, he's the man.' That's called being humble.

Could you beat up Dr. Phil?

Dr. Phil. He'd be dead meat! [laughs] Dr. Phil is a doctor, I'm a mister. People come on his show, 'What's wrong with me, Dr. Phil?' and this and that. You see, I'm hands-on. I go to the people's houses, I go to their workplaces, I go into the communities. That's what I like. There's no makeup and all that phony stuff and whatnot. It's real. Back in Chicago in the late seventies and early eighties, I used to go out street preaching with my pastor. That's what it's all about: giving and helping the less fortunate.

On I Pity the Fool, you're rather dapper in a custom-made suit. What happened to your gold jewellery?

I stopped wearing the gold last year, after Hurricane Katrina, when I saw the people suffering, losing their homes, drowning, on top of the roofs, hollering for water, stuck in the Superdome and people mistreating them and stuff like that. So my heart went out to them and I cried when I watched the newscasts. It hurt me deep. And I said, as a Christian, I would never wear my gold again. So the only gold I have now is in my false gold teeth. Basically I want people to know I have a heart of gold, and not just the gold around my neck.

Actor, wrestler, cartoon figure, recording artist, which has been the most satisfying?

It all gives me a platform. I did TV, I did stage, I did movies, I did the singing the rap songs, telling kids to be good and don't talk to strangers. So all that's positive. I'm touching people, y'know, nothing negative or nothing like that. I don't do dope movies, dope roles, pimp stuff and whatnot, I don't do those things. I don't say certain things. I try to live a certain way. I'm not perfect, I'm not an angel, but I try to live a certain way because it brings honour and respect to my mother. I tell people that when they look at me, they're looking at nothing but a big, overgrown, tough mama's boy. That's who I am.

I Pity the Fool debuts tonight on Star! at 6 p.m. MT, 7 p.m. CT and 9 p.m. Atlantic.