Unfamiliar with Rampage Jackson, the former UFC champion chosen to fill the giant shoes of a one Mr. T, and don the trademarked 40 lbs. of gold jewelry, afrohawk and denim vests of beloved The A-Team member Bosco A. Barracus in the big-screen adaptation of the classic '80s action series? No worries: Movieline has compiled this handy side-by-side comparison guide. It's after the jump.
Real Name
· Mr. T: Laurence Tureaud
· Rampage Jackson: Quinton Ramone Jackson
Birthdate and Birthplace
· Mr. T: May 21, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois.
· Rampage Jackson: June 20, 1978 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Athletic Awards and Scholarships
· Mr. T: Excelled at football, wrestled, and studied martial arts, earning him a scholarship to Prairie View A&M University, where he lasted one year.
· Rampage Jackson: Won All-State honors as a wrestler for Raleigh-Egypt High School.
Early Battle Training
· Mr. T: Worked as a club bouncer (where he'd collect the jewelry of bouncees and wear them around his neck, starting his trademark gold chain collections). Eventually turned that into a celebrity bodyguard gig for clients like Muhammad Ali, Steve McQueen, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. T would join the WWF in 1985 after establishing himself as a bankable Hollywood acting commodity.
· Rampage Jackson: Joined Japanese extreme fighting circuit Pride in 2001, impressing the fanbase quickly with a series of wins over more established champions.
First Show Business Break
· Mr. T: Discovered by Sylvester Stallone in 1980 when he appeared in a segment about America's toughest bouncers on NBC's Games People Play. Stallone cast him as James "Clubber" Lang in Rocky III, an expanded role that was originally just a few lines in the script.
· Rampage Jackson: A less auspicious debut, his first dramatic role was in 2005's Confessions of a Pit Fighter, in which he played the vicious "Fighter" in a film toplined by Armand Assante and Flavor Flav.
Hairstyle
· Mr. T: The trademark mohawk look came to T after seeing it on a Mandinka warrior in National Geographic magazine.
· Rampage Jackson: Goes for a more traditional shaved bald look, and has little use for the mohawk, mocking his stripe-headed rival Chuck Liddell thusly: "I'm impressed with how he keeps his Mohawk looking like that every time I see him. I'm really impressed with that. I wonder if he cuts it himself, if he has a barber or does he have a stencil thing he puts on his head so he doesn't mess it up? Chuck keeps that Mohawk looking like that all the time."
Catchphrase
· Mr. T: "No, I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool." (Rocky III)
"First name Mr, middle name 'period', last name T!" (1982 appearance on Silver Spoons)
"I got no time for the jibba-jabba." (The A-Team)
· Rampage Jackson: The highly quotable Jackson has no single recognizable catchphrase, but plenty worth repeating:
"I never get black eyes ... because I am black."
"In Japan, the crowd is quiet, this one time I heard a cute girl fart in the second row."
Faith
· Mr. T: Born again Christian, having been rebaptized in 1977.
· Rampage Jackson: Born again Christian, an announcement he made to the media prior to his Pride's 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix title bout against Wanderlei Silva. From sherdog.com: "In the middle of a late-summer night Jackson and his kindergarten-age son D'Angelo woke up to separate, though eerily similar dreams. Both were shaken, so much so that at 4 a.m. they had to get out of their apartment. To Jackson, it was a sign. 'You know how girls cry when they're happy?' he said. 'That's how I was. I think I felt Jesus' love. I don't know. I automatically knew everything after I was born again.'"
Family Life
· Mr. T: He has two children with ex-wife Philly Clark. Now splits his time between Chicago and a 20-acre ranch in New Mexico.
· Rampage Jackson: Lives in Irvine, CA with his three sons and one daughter, two from a previous relationship and two with his wife Yuki. Yuki separated from him when a blood test revealed he had fathered a child with another woman, but they since reconciled.
Underwear
· Mr. T: Endorsed his image appearing on The A-Team Underoos.
· Rampage Jackson: American Apparel.
Brushes with the Law
· Mr. T: Surprisingly few considering his line of work.
1990, cited in a paternity suit by a Chicago woman. Outcome uncertain.
2009, called in for Chicago jury duty. Not chosen. Signed autographs and posed for photos with fans.
· Rampage Jackson: July 15, 2008 arrested and booked on suspicion of felony reckless driving, and felony hit and run after striking several vehicles fleeing from police in a Ford F-350 with his picture on the side. UFC President Dana White claimed he had become mentally ill due to dehydration and mass consumption of energy drinks. (No drugs were in his system.) A plea bargain had him pleading guilty to one felony count of evading a police officer and driving against traffic and one misdemeanor count of driving recklessly. Sentencing comes July 7, 2010; in the meantime he must complete "200 hours of community service, attend mental health therapy, pay restitution, and comply with other terms and conditions."