In likely the best type of research for a boxing film (beyond just getting in the ring), Rocky III’s villain, Clubber Lang, was played by Mr. T, a former bodyguard to professional boxers. Having worked for Leon Spinks, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Frazier and “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali, Mr. T (or Lawrence Tureaud, as he was known then) spent ten years protecting the rich and famous. 
Having served as US Army military police and also worked as a bouncer for years, Mr. T had a penchant for being the toughest man in most situations. It was his role in Rocky III that brought him into the limelight and cemented his success as an actor. Rocky III is also the first incidence when Mr. T used his trademark phrase “I pity the fool,” a line that would follow him throughout his career and into the present.
