Reality: This one is kind of sweet in a sad sort of way. Unsure why but Mr T was wrangled to be a Santa Claus at the White House. But somewhat awkwardly, no one would sit in his lap. Eventually, Nancy Reagan took the initiative and plonked down in his lap and gave him a kiss. Considering that a few years prior segregation etc was legal, well, that's fairly impressive, especially for a conservative first lady.
Mr T was later invited to her funeral, an invitation only event.
Mr. T spent so much time hearing his father called "boy" that he changed his own first name to "Mr." That way, he'd always be greeted with a respectful word.
Just the tip of the iceberg, my dude. Check out Mr. T's appearances on late night shows. They're on YouTube. Funny and revealing. I really love him with Conan.