Credit: courtesy image

MegaCon is back in Orlando this week for four full days of celebrities, cosplay, vendors, panels, meet-and-greets and pop-culture overdrive. There are some impressive guests this year — from John Cena to Gillian Anderson,  John Carpenter to Liv Tyler — but one of the names that jumped out to us most was 1980s icon Mr. T. 

Yes, The A-Team and Rocky III star is bringing his tough-but-fair love to MegaCon this weekend, his first time at the massive fandom fest. 

Born Laurence Tureaud, Mr. T grew up in a family of 12 on welfare in Chicago, Illinois. He tells Orlando Weekly that his faith helped guide him out of poverty.

“When I was 9 … I drew a picture and showed it to my mother,” Mr. T says. “I said, ‘Mama, one of these days I’m gonna be big and strong … I’m gonna buy you a beautiful house, and I’m gonna buy you pretty dresses.’ And my mother hugged me and started crying, saying, ‘If that’s the Lord’s willing.’”

He lived up to the promise he made to his mother, taking up boxing and football throughout school. 

In 1975, he enlisted in the army. Following his discharge, Mr. T became a bouncer at the Rush Street nightclub Dingbats. It was there that he picked up the gold-jewelry-clad, mohawk-topped Mr. T persona. A series of tough-man competitions brought him into the spotlight, eventually leading to notoriety in acting and pro-wrestling. (And even his own Saturday-morning cartoon.)

The 1980s powerhouse legally changed his last name to “T” and adopted the “Mr.” to command the respect his father and brothers never received. More than 40 years after his career first took off, Mr. T continues to spread his spirit and serve the community.

While he portrayed Herculean roles like B. A. Baracus in The A-Team and antagonistic characters like Clubber Lang in Rocky III, Mr. T explains that “deep inside, I’m an old-fashioned mama’s boy. I love my mother, and I always talk about her with the highest regard.”

Mr. T’s soft side is evident in his work with children’s hospitals. He explains that this opportunity has had the greatest impact. 

“I went to [the hospital], the kids got excited and I prayed for them,” Mr. T says. “I worked with the Starlight Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation with little kids who were sick or terminally ill, and they requested to meet me. All the characters that these kids could have seen, they wanted to meet me, the tough Mr. T. That’s when my life changed.”

He recalls children who toured production sets, captivated by his iconic look. “I would drive them around in the van, let them play with my jewelry, let them play with my mohawk,” Mr. T says, “I said [to them], ‘I’m honored that you want to meet
me.’”  

He explained that his spirituality helps him stay removed  from the intense characters he portrayed. “I can break a board, because I studied martial arts,” Mr. T says. “Then I can go to the hospital, and a mother asked me to hold her baby, to pray for her baby.”

At MegaCon, Mr. T is ready to meet his fans and show them who he is beyond the screen. “They start off as a fan,” Mr. T says. “Then they get a chance to really get to know who I am and what I represent.”

The multi-generational connection to Mr. T’s work is prominent at events like MegaCon. 

“Since the ’80s, they grew up with me,” Mr. T says. “I’m looking forward to meeting them as much as they look forward to meeting me. They might say, ‘Oh, Mr. T, you’re so frightening in Rocky III, but my father told me you’re a nice guy.’ It’s special. My career has sort of gone full circle.”

Mr. T states several times that having people know his name is humbling, and it is an honor to have a platform. “I try to use my status for the good, you know,” Mr. T says. “I would go to the homeless shelter, quietly bring food and wouldn’t make a grand deal. Watch me do it quietly.” 

For Mr. T, the celebrity he has gained allows him to perform acts of kindness. “I can feed the hungry. I can lift someone’s spirit. I can give them hope,” Mr. T says.

A defining moment of Mr. T’s career came when his message reached kids from backgrounds like his own. “I grew up in the ghetto, but I never robbed nobody. I’m a respected person now,” Mr. T says. “I’m sending a message to the kids who are going through poverty: You don’t have to rob to get over it. Do the right thing.”

Even as he gears up for four days of MegaCon action, Mr. T is putting in the work to make the experience memorable.

“I’m preparing myself for when I come to Orlando,” Mr. T says. “You won’t see me say, ‘Oh, I’m tired of these people. I need a break.’ No, I’m going to be rested for them. I want to love them. I want to lift these spirits. I want to give them a big hug. I want them to never forget the moment that they met me.”

Fans can see Mr. T at MegaCon Thursday through Sunday and say hello, get a hug, score an autograph, snap a selfie or get a pro photo. If you miss out on the latter potential Christmas card opportunity, we pity you, fool.

MegaCon: Thursday-Sunday, March 19-22; Orange County Convention Center; 9800 International Drive; fanexpohq.com/megaconorlando; $28-$600.

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This article appears in March 18-24, 2026.