Mr. T shows off his Scouting knowledge, donates to Cub Scouts selling popcorn

He may be famous for his tough-guy TV and movie characters, but Mr. T has a heart of gold.

The star of The A-Team and Rocky III was shopping for groceries on Saturday in Sherman Oaks, Calif., when he encountered some Cub Scouts from Pack 311.

Mr. T stopped to talk to the Cub Scouts for several minutes.

He offered sage advice, gave each of the Cub Scouts a signed Mr. T toy and donated $100 to the pack’s popcorn fundraiser.

“As a Boy Scout, you’ve got to do a good deed every day,” he told the Cub Scouts. “A good Boy Scout will grow up to be a good person.”

Mr. T said he was a Boy Scout in the Bear Patrol. He demonstrated the three-finger Scout Sign and Scout Salute and listed three types of poison to avoid when camping: poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak. He said Scouting taught him character values, too.

“I was a Boy Scout,” he said. “So I always loved my mother, helped other people and stuff like that. Even though I play a tough guy on TV, deep inside, I’m a nice guy.”

‘A kind and gracious person’

Members of Pack 311 of Valley Village, Calif., were selling popcorn at a Ralphs grocery store when they spotted the famous actor.

Aimee Stern was there with her Cub Scout son Max. Wisely, she took out her phone and starting recording.

“Mr. T was wonderful with the boys,” Stern told me. “He embodied the spirit of a Scout.”

Kara Redmon, another Pack 311 volunteer, was there with her son Kieren.

She said Mr. T “was such a kind and gracious person.”

Watch the video


Thanks to the Western Los Angeles County Council’s Andrew Sisolak for the tip.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.