"I shaved my head, wore derby hats, white gloves, 3 piece suits, carried a cane. I never went any place without a fresh carnation or a rosebud in my lapel."

One job he had was at Dingbat's club in Chicago as a bouncer. Club owner Ron Riskman says, "He was always very smartly dressed and he shaved his head completely bald. He'd confront trouble makers and say to them, "It's only fair to warn you that my patience is as long as the hair on my head." Most of them would get pretty quiet after that.

In 1970 he changed his name by deed poll to Laurence Tero, and later to Mr. T in order that people would have to address him as "Mr." It was while reading "National Geographic" that Mr. T first saw the mohawk hairstyle on a Mandinka warrior. He felt that adopting the style was a powerful statement about his origins.

In 1975 he worked for a while on the Chicago educational scheme as a gym teacher. In 1978 he decided to do something definite about his religious beliefs and was rebaptised in the Cosmopolitan Community Church in Chicago.