Did you grow up watching the A-Team? It was easily one of the most exciting shows of its time and one that’s still remembered fondly by fans today!
The A-Team told the story of a group of former members the United States Army Special Forces Unit. They’re working as soldiers of fortune after an escape from prison. This unique storyline captured America’s attention and the show soon became a big hit!
The main reason for the show’s success were the cast members. Yet, despite their incredible chemistry on scream, the entire A-Team cast hated each other!
Join FactsVerse to learn about how the entire A-Team cast hated each other and their crazy feuds…
MR T. AND GEORGE PEPPARD
Looking back at their on-screen chemistry makes it hard for us to believe that Mr. T and George Peppard barely spoke to each other.
In fact, in his memoirs, Hulk Hogan wrote that Mr. T and George Peppard actually hated each other.
Both actors had vastly different backgrounds. Mr. T grew up in the projects of Chicago’s South Side. He was raised with 11 other siblings and a single mom. As a result, his life was tough and he had to strive to improve his status in the world.
George Peppard grew up in a middle class family in Detroit. He became a leading man in cinema throughout the 1960s. During this time, Mr. T was pursuing a career as a wrestler, often collaborating with the aforementioned Hulk Hogan.
The two actors initially got along well on the set of The A-Team. However, their beef began when Mr. T came across an article in a magazine that he found offensive. In the article, George Peppard had been interviewed about his experience on the show. He had discussed how he felt that Mr. T wasn’t a real actor due to his wrestling background and his lack of classical training.
Mr. T took issue with this. He also took issue with the fact that George Peppard referred to him as the ‘worst actor’ in the cast. This caused the two men to avoid speaking to each other when the cameras stopped rolling.
But luckily, this issue didn’t spoil the on-screen chemistry between the two of them. And, for what it’s worth, is there an actor more memorable than Mr. T?
Before we tell you more about the A-Team Cast and their feuds, please like this video and subscribe to FactsVerse for more pop culture stories and interesting documentaries. Now, back to the video…
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DWIGHT SCHULZ
Dwight Schulz was born on November 24, 1947, in Baltimore and began his acting career in the early 1980s. His role on The A-Team as Howling Mad Murdock is what made him a huge star.
He loved working on the show and has fond memories of his experience. After all, this was the show that helped launch him to stardom. But even Dwight Schulz had his issues with his fellow cast members.
In fact, his views were in complete contrast to George Peppard. Dwight Schulz adored Mr. T and thought that he was a hardworking and amicable cast member. He thought the exact opposite of George Peppard.
He felt that George’s reputation as a movie star caused him to have a big ego and made him cold. He didn’t enjoy the experience of working with the actor and occasionally felt that the actor was rude to him.
Nevertheless, their professionalism hid the uncomfortable atmosphere on set. They had great on-screen chemistry and managed to show that, in front of the camera, they truly were a team.
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TRIPLE A
Amy Amanda Allen or Triple A, was played by Melinda Culea. This was her first major foray into acting and she joined the cast in the first season and stayed on for the second season before moving on to other projects.
She loved her role on the show and while her character was a journalist, rather than a member of the ‘A-Team’ she became a popular character on the show. Melinda Culea became a celebrity on the show and particularly won the adulation of actual journalists.
She seemed to have gotten on well with her fellow cast members but did feel that the males were getting too much attention. She would often give interviews about how she felt that her character would eventually get more screen time.
While she did this innocently, the show’s producers and writers didn’t like that she was trying to steer the show in a different direction. They would have arguments with her behind the scenes and eventually, she was fired after the second season.
Nevertheless, she managed to carve out a successful career for herself working mostly in television and occasionally in films. Her other notable TV appearances were in shows such as Beverly Hills 90210, Fantasy Island, St. Elsewhere, and Murder She Wrote.
Her notable film appearances were in the films Brotherly Love and Wagons East!
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THE REMAKE FILM
So, how did the A-Team cast members feel about the show and its popularity? Do they look back on it with fond memories?
For the most part, yes, but it also seems as if they’ve moved onto other things. A 2010 feature film called ‘The A-Team’ was released based on the original series.
The cast was, of course, entirely new though some of the original cast members had a role in the film. Dirk Benedict, played “Faceman” in the original series and had a very quick cameo in the new film. He stated that he later regretted the cameo as he felt it was too short and rather insulting.
Mr. T was offered a cameo in the film as well. However, he stated that he would feel it would be strange for him to do so if he wasn’t reprising his original role. He also didn’t attend the premiere of the show. However, he wished Quinton Jackson good luck as he took on the new role of Barracus.
There were also rumors that Mr. T didn’t like the remake and felt that it was too violent and didn’t stay true to the original show. However, these rumors haven’t been confirmed as yet.
Dwight Schulz had more positive things to say about the film and wished the new team luck. However, even he felt that the show was too much of a drift from the original series and that the filmmakers changed too much to suit the modern sensibilities.
While the original series was a huge hit, the remake film had an initial slow start but eventually managed to catch a great profit. However, it hasn’t made much of a cultural impact and a proposed sequel was cancelled.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE A-TEAM
Let’s wrap up with a few fun facts about the original series. While we remember Dirk Benedict as playing Faceman, the role was originally played by a different actor.
Originally, the role was played by actor Tim Dunigan. However, it was eventually decided that he looked too young, certainly too young to play a war veteran – so the role was given to Dirk Benedict. This was perfect for Dirk Benedict as this role is what made him a household name.
We also never learn what Murdock’s name was. While we do learn the first names of all the other characters, this is never the case for Murdock. For now, we’ll have to assume that his mother actually named him ‘Howling Mad!’
One of Mr. T’s most famous catchphrases is ‘I Pity the Fool.’ However, one must remember that this phrase is associated with Mr. T – not his character, Baracus. Mr. T actually used this line when he appeared in the 1982 film Rocky III. But his role in The A-Team was arguably his most popular role which is likely why many of us associate the line with the show.
One of the other interesting things about Mr. T was his ostentatious jewelry. While Mr. T often likes to wear such jewelry, the very jewelry he wore during the shooting of The A-Team was actually very heavy. He had to manage to wear this uncomfortable jewelry and still fight against the villains in the show! No wonder he didn’t suffer fools!
You may remember the fantastic theme tune for The A-Team. It was one of the most popular theme tunes of the 80s which was a decade full of great theme tunes. Many of these great themes came from composer Mike Post, who also composed the themes for LA Law, Magnum PI, Quantum Leap, Hunter, and Hill Street Blues.
The A-Team garnered lots of controversy due to its heavy gun use and the prevalence of violence. Yet, one of the most interesting facts about the series is that we only see 1 on-screen death.
The on-screen death was tragic, as it was the death of the character General Fulbright. The character was played by Jack Ging, who died during combat – while fighting alongside the A-Team.
Those are just some of the most memorable fun facts from the show. Are there any that you may know about?
Are you a fan of The A-Team? The show was one of the exciting shows in America and continues to have one of the most iconic casts in American TV history!
Now, here’s what we’d like to hear from you:
Do you think that a remake of The A-Team would be popular today? Or will audiences not care for it, as evidenced by the failure of the remake film released a few years back?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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