WWE Hall of Famer and Mr. T has delivered a brutally honest and scathing review of his own upcoming Netflix feature, calling the project “garbage” while promoting the release. The 74-year-old actor, former professional wrestler, and celebrity bodyguard let his grievances fly in an interview with The Guardian regarding the sports documentary series installment Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool, which is streaming Sept. 8.
Mr. T Slams Netflix Documentary as Garbage and Distorted
Instead of praising the promotional effort for the project directed by Scott Weintrob, Mr. T made it clear he is profoundly unhappy with the final cut. He claimed the film missed the mark entirely when chronicling his rise to fame and his retreat from the public eye, asserting that it presents an intimidating, distorted image of who he really is rather than capturing his actual life.
Grievances Over Omitted Charity, Faith, and Personal Values
According to Mr. T—who was born Laurence Tureaud before legally changing his name—the documentary spends too much time leaning into his tough, aggressive public persona known from projects like Rocky III, The A-Team, and professional wrestling. He argued that this selective framing leaves out critical parts of his lived experience, such as his religious faith, family values, and extensive community work.
The documentary pissed me off, because they didn’t cover a lot of stuff,
Mr. T stated. When I saw it I was like: ‘What the heck?’ It’s garbage. You build me up, then you try to punk me out. I said: ‘Wow man, I’m more than that.’
Among his primary complaints is the limited screen time afforded to his religious life. He pointed out that although his pastor, Reverend Henry Hardy, was interviewed for two days, the final cut reduced the footage to roughly 30 seconds. Mr. T criticized the editorial choice, arguing it created an unfair and monstrous caricature of his character. He also expressed frustration that the project omitted his charitable and advocacy endeavors, including his time working with Make-A-Wish kids, his military service, and his involvement in Nancy Reagan’s 1982 “Just Say No” campaign.
Controversial Inclusion of Former Agent and Theatrical Roles
Tensions also flared over the inclusion of the star’s former agent, Peter Young. Mr. T revealed that he and his manager explicitly instructed director Scott Weintrob to exclude Young from the project, noting that he had previously sued the agent because business deals were made without his consent. Despite this direct warning, Young appears in the documentary criticizing the actor’s past participation in Tom Stern and Alex Winter’s 1993 cult horror-comedy, Freaked, in which Mr. T played the Bearded Lady.
Mr. T defended his role in the film alongside co-stars like Brooke Shields, Keanu Reeves, and Randy Quaid, explaining that he viewed the part as an unconventional choice that went against typecasting. He argued that the time spent highlighting the film and featuring his former agent could have been better utilized showing his pastor speaking about positive community impacts. See, that’s an agenda. It was a hidden agenda; they had to undercut what I’m about. What a joke!
he said.
Career Reflections Beyond Hollywood
Despite his visible frustration with the finished film—which a Netflix representative alleged he had approved of prior to the Guardian interview—the Rocky III actor reflected on a career where he achieved everything he ever set out to accomplish. He emphasized that financial accumulation and fame were never his primary motivations.
All I wanted to do was buy my mother a beautiful house and pretty dresses,
he said. I done that in the ’80s, so the game was over. It was done. I was already walking away. When they called me for ‘The A-Team,’ I was at the wrap party for ‘Rocky III.’
