Brett Ferino
04-30-2003, 08:30 PM
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Mr. T pities the fool who misappropriates his image.
At the very least, Mr. T pities the fool who misappropriates his image provided that he, in fact, is that that fool. The 1-800-COLLECT, Lipton's Sizzle 'n Stir, Idaho Title Loan, Burger King and Sony PlayStation pitchman is suing Best Buy Co. Inc. for using his image without permission.
According to the Associated Press, Mr. T, born Laurence Tureaud, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that a recent Best Buy print ad contributed to defiling the "unique persona that [he] developed for [more than] 20 years and is of great economic value to him."
The Mr. T persona was first cultivated as a bodyguard for stars including Muhammad Ali. Moving into acting, Mr. T struck fear into the heart of Rocky Balboa, playing Clubber Lang in "Rocky III." The next year he starred as B.A. Baracus, one of four Vietnam vets framed for a crime they didn't commit in the popular CBS series "The A-Team."
More recently, Mr. T has made segues into the world of professional wrestling and professional celebrity pitching. Mr. T was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph system in 1995, but has been successfully battling the disease.
At the very least, Mr. T pities the fool who misappropriates his image provided that he, in fact, is that that fool. The 1-800-COLLECT, Lipton's Sizzle 'n Stir, Idaho Title Loan, Burger King and Sony PlayStation pitchman is suing Best Buy Co. Inc. for using his image without permission.
According to the Associated Press, Mr. T, born Laurence Tureaud, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that a recent Best Buy print ad contributed to defiling the "unique persona that [he] developed for [more than] 20 years and is of great economic value to him."
The Mr. T persona was first cultivated as a bodyguard for stars including Muhammad Ali. Moving into acting, Mr. T struck fear into the heart of Rocky Balboa, playing Clubber Lang in "Rocky III." The next year he starred as B.A. Baracus, one of four Vietnam vets framed for a crime they didn't commit in the popular CBS series "The A-Team."
More recently, Mr. T has made segues into the world of professional wrestling and professional celebrity pitching. Mr. T was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph system in 1995, but has been successfully battling the disease.