Mr. T on Late Night With David Letterman 1982

you welcome back to the show we have a fine program for you tonight we're going to be taking a tour of New York City's at donut shops also Ron Howard will be joining us another installment of nightcap theater perhaps and we'd like to remind you that Friday is it Friday we'll be doing this our first Christmas Extravaganza that will be Friday jot that down on your tongue it will be a 90-minute Christmas special so be sure and tune in for that my first guest makes his acting debut in Rocky three and if you've seen the film you know that he isn't an easy guy to forget if you haven't you'll soon see why please welcome mr. T you make you make an impressive entrance before we get started you were so frightening in that motion picture and have you acted before or was that just you we were watching there or the character cause to be hungry and I've been hungry all my life so whatever problem that's why what he's combat boots because it's symbolic of my struggle I'm born in the ghetto and raised on welfare so that's what so the character was about a lot of people mistake him for being mean and hateful ease don't hate he just hurt or even pushed aside so long here he's the number one challenging still you don't get a shot at the title so that makes a guy man yeah so that's what I've been having lots of other jobs and things like that what kind of jobs real we like secretarial work I'm guessing his out I just missed a joke yeah now you guys while I'm squeezing this ball you know because I won't get too mad I was made last week I was supposed to come on I'm very I'm a very impatient guy you know a lot of things I could be doing so I'll come here I said soon in case he get the telling them corny jokes I'm a squeeze his balls I squeeze a ball too many times but you see them squeeze the ball over ten times that mean cook jokes on the squares about sixth I'm already sick so we have six over here and now you're just let's explain what happened last week you were scheduled to be on the show and we ran out of time I know what it was is the elevator races right everybody made me mad really were you actually angry about that well very mad some man I believe in selected tattoo him on TCP I believe in taking care of business I came here to do the show mr. t don't not like some weight but nothing yeah nobody uh uh uh well I'd let me just apologize for any inconvenience in working we're glad that you didn't sit again did you eight-time got two more take time it's okay it's okay because he's paying me for it so it's alright that's right yeah and most I'm getting paid for so I need the money to help out a mother house and help build a community center for the kids in Chicago a little less fortunate people in Chicago that's what I'm about so all the money I get on these shows and I save the money and give to the people who really needed a lot of people out of work and don't have jobs so they can use the money now let me for people who may not you do we want to take a look at the movie now or do we have time we'll do it after the commercial okay for people who may not have seen the film yet and as I mentioned before you did an outstanding job because the character is very frightening do you know what the clipping is here mr. t what we're gonna learn no I think it might be the scene with this Eddy steps when they given him over right then giving rocky an award and mr. t sort of interrupts in the proceedings and take a look at the monitors here and at home has always used the TV to give them guts I told you I wasn't going away you got your shot I'll give me mad why should get the hell out of it now go man I ain't going nowhere it runs eat all these nice clothes why you've been ducking me politics man let's cut you want to keep me down keep bad by the week I don't want a man like me they are the titled it doesn't have a puppy like a fool up there you know you got a big mouth see them what's the matter closed don't wanna come to me not coming using the layoffs the truth I'm right number one what that means on to this but this bomb it taking the keys and matches fight another bar I'm telling you and everybody here I'll find anywhere in the can people never gonna see that happen because he's gonna retire you see you don't fight no real man he fight them setups what you're a disgrace to this foot shut up old man you let something to either come from Babylon your family doing real nice ain't it you call yourself a fighter prove enough give me a sane chance do we even duck mr. disgrace you paint no collar why don't we fight mini I can't listen anymore this hey anytime don't care what you're right you don't get no shot and I mean that hey woman hey one listen here since your man ain't got no heart feel like to see a real man I bet you stay up late every night dreaming you hit a real man don't you I tell you what bring your pretty little self over to my apartment tonight not sure you're a real man very very impressive now we have just a brief amount of time we're going to go away for a commercial we'll be back and I want to talk about your your name first of all is that your real name well if pope john paul ii was coming with yes'm what's his real name was well but it you have to it's an interesting name mr. t right well I changed it because I wasn't given respect before you know people have a tends to always constantly call a man boy for what reason I don't know why you know so I changed my name and mr. t so the first world everybody mildly missed it a sign of respect and yet you have a first name my first name is mr. my middle name is that period a last name pause and we'll be right back with mr. T go mr. t is with us and I mentioned you mentioned before that this was your first acting part and you don't really consider yourself to be an actor now right I'm glad you brought that up you know a lot of people they sort of get offended because I don't sign autographs and let me explain to everybody I consider myself a bodyguard my full-time bodyguard and a part-time actor bodyguard and I feel my self-worth I like protecting people I know I can make more money in the movies but there's something special about bodyguard and therefore that's why I don't sign on the grounds I might be somewhere protecting somebody and somebody running up to me asking me for an autograph they might get killed who thought it was him involved with it this is I said the truth yeah who are some of the people that you are currently guarding well your most recent client you know oh um maybe reason why I say that you can't you can't close no it's not the studio by just by the world know who I've been protecting but I don't like to keep throwing all the big names around because everybody our take is important our particular welfare mothers children people who couldn't afford my salary so I get tired of throwing around the big name robber take everybody operate a special and famous to me because their life is something special now before you got into body guarding you work as a bouncer and some clubs in Chicago glad you brought that I've worked in the on the door that's different between a bounce in a door now a bounce of the type of guy he really gets off on physically putting his hand on people I don't yeah I consider myself a security specialist at the door security specialists have you have you ever had to gear up somebody after I mean you try and reason with him first right no I'm like I don't try to put lot of emphasis on roughing people up and things like that if I get a gal peacefully I've done my job I don't like putting my hands on nobody because I like nor putting hands on me you know I just try to use a little tact and diplomacy that's all so say somebody is causing a disturbance and you go over there and you can't talk them into leaving then what do you do I might BAM another drink because I really try to avoid trouble what I do and I try to make my job easy as possible yeah I'm not into his physical thing of this macho thing other guys the Internet they might see me walking on the street you know look so tough to me cuz they have this thing they gotta do I don't have nothing to prove to anybody you know they can say what you want about my hairstyle my earrings on it loans they don't touch me I'm fine you know they find ya candolyn can I ask you about your since you mentioned your hairstyle and your jewelry and so Friday I'm glad you brought that up the hairstyle your hairstyl is not punk rock there's not Mohegan Indians because a lot of people related to the movie because that's all they know as a tribe in Africa that calls himself the Mandinka warriors they were they here in this fashion they were feather earrings they were diamond gold they were the finest there is and I'm proud to be a descendant of the people and that's the reason why I wear this and the changes and go it's symbolic of my struggle because my ancestor he was brought over here we were shocked about our wrists and I necks and ankles but now I turn those shackles in the gold and that offends people people ask me say do they go get heavy nobody has my ancestors those changes get hit on the neck but it bothered me cutting of the gold is valuable but it's the reason why were to go in earrings and guys it's an interesting story that a man working as a bodyguard and a security specialist in bars in Chicago gets to be actually you're pretty well steal the movie how do you make that jump from whatever you do there and talking people out of causing trouble to being in a major motion picture just being hard well you know what you want to do and first of all I'm so thankful to God that I had the opportunity I am successful because I believe in God and God is in my life that's why I'm successful I'm not bad I'm not tough I'm not rough I'm not nothing I'm just thankful to God that's where I'm special but uh is being hungry you got to be home again working with a guy like Sylvester Stallone he's a perfectionist but how did you get the job I mean as plenty hungry folks here but yeah well you got to be know when you they were be intelligent see what do you see I knew I could act long time ago when I was in first grade my teachers all you tell me don't you stop acting the food stop acting the clown by the actor who would act the clown I'd be like anything you don't need and I've been acting all my life is just that now people begin to pay me for yeah and but back to your question um like I said it was that I had an opportunity so I took advantage of it I trained rioja we trained for six months and funeral for two months but let me let me go back to the cuz there's got to be people all across America thinking gee I could have played a fighter and without a great deal of experience but you brought more to it than I needed a fine acting job but how do you get the job how did you go up and introduce yourself where did the Stallone know about you or I know they saw me audition well first I first met so that's alone in 1978 when he came to address Rob Leon Spinks out they lost to Ali there but they saw me on his conscious games we were play America's toughest bouncing contest I just wanted a second time and I was standing there being interview and the cast directed the town was turning the channel and she just stopped say this guy is different and he can talk yeah so he called me up you know my boxer that's too low two rounds in October 80 he called me back for a screen test and we did the screen say he'll tell you I was the only one of over 1200 guys our audition for the part I was the only one who auditioned about 10 page script without looking at it you know and he said and pressed him yeah among other things that idea yeah oh yeah very impressing a very impressive person what are we gonna do here we're gonna we're gonna pause we'll come back you can stick around for a few more metascan trees or shoot low as you pay me let's see what we can cause let me back right after this mighty impressive thank you gentlemen welcome back the show of the Ron Howard will be joining us this of course is a mr. t from the motion picture Rocky 3 we have time for just a couple of quick questions I know you mentioned it you're making your living as a bodyguard now and but if somebody came up with another movie part you certainly take that with you well yeah it's got to be the right parts you know been too many uh I don't get involved in no black exploitation movies no dope to the movies nope it rolls thing like that and I tell them if they want to you know the movies give me a type of roles that you give Charleston Heston give me other this part in the Red Sea in a ten commander give me a bender I am talented enough to play them type of roles how do won't get involved just know trechie stuff have you have you been offered some pretty good things are you looking at thing well I'm taking my time I'm gonna have control of my destiny they bring me a lot of things but I'm not really you know get an agent a manager and so forth now believe it or not really I don't because long time ago they told me say mister T you ain't hot enough we don't only take stars so I tell them I'm too hot for them now and you have a book that you've written alright was I'm playing with publishers now because again long time where they say we don't want to eat no book bout you now your buddy come oh you still got that book we want it now the book is called mr. t the bodyguard and I go in detail and explaining why that I am the best bodyguard the heels and and explaining why I'm the best is because that uh I consider myself a kamikaze pilot when they come to bodyguard they were dedicated today country I'm dedicated to my client if there's a gun in the room I would take the bullet if there's a knife I'll take style I would be staff so I don't fear death that's the reason why I'm the best in my book I gonna teach other explain all that and also I explained it everybody needs a bodyguard whether you can afford one or not cuz all the time a crime is committed it has nothing to do with money there might be people that just don't like you or the reason a lot of people out there don't like me I'll deal with it maybe you would do you need a bodyguard do you think oh god but takes me huh that's why don't fear nothing to worry or hate or whatever you know it's a fascinating way to make a living and I hope you get another really good part that you're interested in doing and thank you for being here and I'm sorry about the mix-up last week we're okay now aren't we no that's okay because you know you save about pay me fluid so something yeah okay mr. key ladies thank you

Channel: cJhanna100

Views: 636,050

Rating: 4.8889961 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: mRi180Kkb6Y

Length: 14min 49sec (889 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 18 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/Yoyo7900]

Mount T

[u/n00bvin]

Mr. T has pretty good comedic timing and delivery.

[u/mostlygray]

This appears to be an indicator of the times.

Please, please call me out if I'm wrong, but Dave and the audience are pretty much calling for "Dance monkey boy." They aren't laughing at the right places. Dave is throwing jokes that don't belong. I find it embarrassing.

This is a grown ass man, treat him with respect. He's not even doing schtick. Give an honest interview. It's not hard.

Yeah, he's dressed like a cockatoo. That's his problem, not yours. He doesn't seem to be doing a bit. and Dave is shitting on him the whole time.

Not a fan of Dave's style. Mugging only gets you so far.

[u/kassell]

Hey T, how are you?

[u/Minhaj-780]

Mr.T wanted to laugh so hard, but he never broke character.

[u/xtian7]

TIL Mr. T is a man of culture, educated, and a good man

[u/ADDABAKKES]

MONT T