Before Mr. T was on the A-Team, he wrote a book, “Mr. T the Bodyguard.”
On July 7, 1982, David Letterman interviewed Mr. T. There were some funny moments with Mr. T not liking Letterman’s corny jokes.
At the 9-minute 46-second moment, at the end of the interview, David Letterman asks him about his book. Mr. T talks about his book, “Mr. T the Bodyguard”
David Letterman: You have a book that you’ve written, right?
Mr. T: Well, it’s—I’m playing with publishers now. Because again, long time ago they said, “We don’t want to hear no book about you.” Now everybody coming, “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 there is. And and explaining why I’m the best is because, that I consider myself a kamikaze pilot when it comes to bodyguard. They were dedicated to their 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 stab. I will be stabbed. So I don’t fear death.
That’s the reason why I’m the best.
In my book, I go into detail and explain all that.
And also, I explained that everybody needs a bodyguard, whether you can afford one or not. Because 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 for whatever reason. A lot of people out there don’t like me. I deal with that.
David Letterman: Now, do you need a bodyguard, do you think?
Mr. T: God protects me. That’s why I don’t fear nothing or worry or hate or whatever. You know.
David Letterman: Uh… it’s a fascinating way to make a living. And I hope you get a—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?
Mr. T: No, that’s okay, because you know, you say we’re gonna pay me for it, so it’s alright.
David Letterman: Yeah, okay. Uh. Heh heh. Mr. T, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much.
Apparently, Mr. T has written a book, but it appears to never been published. I can’t find the book anywhere online. I’d love to read this book.
In this interview, it was very early in Mr. T’s career. He was fresh off Rocky. Not yet on the A-Team. Mr. T looked new. The thing that struck me is that Mr. T was dressed VERY much into the fashion of the day. We take his look for granted now. But at the time, it was very striking.
The giant sunglasses. Vest. Gold medals. Socks over pants. Mohawk. Some people saw it as a punk mohawk. But in the interview, Mr. T explains that it’s inspired by warriors of the Mandinka tribe in West Africa (specifically Mali).
Also, Mr. T was his unique mix of humbleness and confidence. Something we see throughout his career and life.