Mr. T Calls Netflix Biographical Documentary 'Garbage' Over Final Cut

Netflix's new documentary Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool presents itself as the definitive, unvarnished look at the man behind the gold chains and the mohawk, charting his rise from a Chicago bodyguard to a global 1980s phenomenon. But according to Laurence Tureaud himself, the film is a "garbage" hit piece that deliberately ignores his faith, misrepresents his career, and includes voices he explicitly banned.[1][2]

The documentary, which premiered on the streaming platform on September 8, 2026, was directed by Scott Weintrob as part of Netflix's ongoing Untold sports and culture series. It chronicles Tureaud's journey from the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side to his breakout roles as Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III and B.A. Baracus on the hit television series The A-Team.[1][3]

However, the 74-year-old actor says the final cut focuses almost entirely on his aggressive television persona while omitting his decades of community service and his deep Christian faith. "Two days they interviewed my pastor, and he gets 30 seconds," Tureaud noted in a recent interview, expressing frustration over the editorial choices.[1][4]

The youngest of 12 children, Tureaud argued that the filmmakers had a "hidden agenda" to undercut his character and present him as a one-dimensional caricature. "Why don't you show Mr T working with the Make-A-Wish kids, why don't you show Mr T being in the army?" he asked, adding that the omissions leave viewers thinking he is a "monster."[1][5]

The conflict escalated significantly over the inclusion of Peter Young, Tureaud's former agent. The actor stated that he and his management explicitly told the production team not to include Young, with whom he had a previous legal dispute.[1][6]

Despite those direct instructions, Young appears in the film, criticizing some of the actor's 1990s career choices, such as his appearance in the 1993 comedy Freaked. Tureaud claims he was denied access to the footage during the production process and only saw the final cut a month before its global premiere.[1][2]

The documentary frames his later career as a decline driven by poor business decisions, a narrative Tureaud vehemently rejects. He maintains that his primary goal in Hollywood was simply to buy his mother a house and nice clothes—a milestone he achieved at the height of his fame in the 1980s.[2][4]

"I don't want to sound cocky or conceited, but if I never made another dollar, if I was never on TV again, all I ever wanted to do is done," he said, explaining that he stepped away from the entertainment industry on his own terms rather than being forced out.[3][5]

The actor framed the editorial choices as a broader cultural issue regarding who gets to tell a Black entertainer's story. "That's what we call, in the Black community, a white man wanting to change the story and control the narrative," Tureaud stated.[1][2]

Netflix and the film's producers have not publicly responded to the criticism. Despite his anger over the final product, Tureaud says his mother taught him to take the "high road," and he has encouraged his fans to watch the film and make up their own minds about his legacy.[1][6]