Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud) has enjoyed many successes in the entertainment industry. He has been a star on hit Hollywood productions such as the Rocky series and the A-Team. He also made his mark in sports entertainment during his time with the WWE. However, according to Mr. T, with that much success comes a lot of envy.
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The former A-Team star recently sat down with PEOPLE as part of the promo run for his upcoming Netflix documentary, Untold Mr. T: I Pity The Fool. During his sit-down with the outlet, Mr. T talked about how his road to Hollywood made him the target of jealousy from people in his hometown of Chicago.
Mr. T Says He Dealt With Several Critics During Rise to Stardom
"I've had to deal with a lot of jealousy. In the neighborhood, a lot of Black people didn't like me and white people didn't like me, because I wasn't supposed to rise," the Rocky III star said to PEOPLE. "They said I was a flash in the pan, a one-hit wonder and all that."
That hatred toward Mr. T was the most prevalent when he appeared on The A Team from 1983-1987. He scored the role after he drew the attention of Sylvester Stallone after winning NBC's America's Toughest Bouncer contest in 1980. Although it was tempting for the star to clap back at his haters, Mr. T says he ultimately chose the high road.
"On The A-Team, what I put it like, I took the high road. Like my mother said. 'If you're hating me, I'm going to love you in return,'" he added. "As Dr. King said, 'I'm going to weigh your hate down with my love.' So while you're hating me, I'm going to love you in return. Plus, like I tell people, that's what haters do. Haters hate. Runners run. Actors act. Players play. A hater's gotta hate, and I give them the room. But I don't hate."
Mr. T also told the outlet that he did not allow others' disdain toward him to be a deterrent. Because he knew that was what all of his enemies wanted. And that was all the motivation that he needed to not fail.
"But I worked hard to get to where I was. It wasn't by accident. It was well planned," he says. "And I knew it'd take care. I said, 'I'm not going to fall from this because the enemy would love to see me fall.' I knew that I worked hard and got what I did, and because of that, certain people I've done nothing to will hate me, because I am what they want to be."
