Sergeant Bosco Albert "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus , played by Mr. T, is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the 1980s action-adventure television series The A-Team. B. A. Baracus appeared on The A-Team from the series beginning in 1983 until its cancellation in 1987. He is arguably the breakout character of the series and has become a cult icon worldwide.
In the 2010 film version, B. A. Baracus was played by mixed martial artist Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Fictional character biography
The A-Team is a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces 5th Special Forces Group soldiers who were wrongly convicted of a crime during the Vietnam War. Managing to escape from the Military Police, they fled to Los Angeles where, as fugitives, the A-Team works as soldiers of fortune, using their military training to fight oppression and injustice. B. A., along with Hannibal Smith, Templeton "Faceman" Peck, and H. M. Murdock make up the A-Team.
In the pilot episode, "Mexican Slayride", B. A. is described as follows by a reporter colleague of Amy Allen: "Bosco Baracus. Known as B. A. for 'bad attitude.' The man is a mechanical genius. He also has one of the worst conduct records in the army. He likes to slug officers." A rough-and-tough fighter, the character of B. A. Baracus is basically that of the public persona of Mr. T himself. He is known for his trademark African Mandinka warrior hairstyle (often mistaken for a frohawk hairstyle), and his gold jewelry.
While the other members of the team regularly resort to disguises, scams and subterfuge to achieve their goals, B. A.'s distinctive appearance and confrontational attitude usually lead to a more direct approach to problems, which often involve either his skills at hand-to-hand combat (Boxing, Wrestling), or his mechanical talents.
He is a highly skilled mechanic and has an amazing talent for making impressive machinery out of just about any ordinary parts. He received his initial training in the Jamaican Defense Force. In Season 2, Hannibal once said to B. A., "With a pair of pliers and a little time, you could fix anything but dinner." He is an excellent fighter and is invaluable in hand-to-hand combat. Because of his massive size and strength, he has a unique fighting tactic, which may involve grabbing his opponents, lifting them over his head, and hurling them in the air. He is easily angered to the point of rage, and often greets people with a growl or a snarl. He is most often upset by Murdock and frequently addresses him with the phrase "You crazy fool!", although Murdock is usually unfazed by B. A.'s gruffness. In fact, B. A. and Murdock are very close friends, with almost the relationship of frequently quarrelling brothers, as can be seen in "Curtain Call", the Season 2 finale, where Murdock is shot and B. A. is desperate to save him. Despite B. A.'s reputed attitude, he is a kind person who has a special fondness for children, occasionally working at a youth center teaching sports to the children. It is divulged in a Season 2 episode that he is from Chicago, another parallel with the real life Mr. T.
A teetotaler, B. A. did not touch alcohol, preferring milk instead. He suffers from pteromerhanophobia, an intense fear of flying, especially when the pilot is Murdock. He typically exclaims, "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" This difficulty is often overcome by other members of the team drugging him, knocking him unconscious, or, as in one episode, hypnotizing him, so he can be transported without objection. In the Season 1 episode "The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing", he is on a plane pretending to be a maintenance technician with Murdock when the plane suddenly takes off. He immediately falls into a catatonic state while Murdock tries to revive him. Furthermore, in two episodes "The Sound of Thunder" and "Quarterback Sneak" B. A. hops onto a helicopter which is piloted by Murdock, although he is said to have gone catatonic during the plane ride in "The Sound of Thunder".
In the Season 4 episode "Lease with an Option to Die", he temporarily overcomes his fear of flying when he learns his mother is hurt. In that episode his mother and her friends in Chicago are under the impression that he is the leader of The A-Team, which Hannibal and the others go along with. He submits to her authority, and the team is highly amused when his mother calls him by his childhood nickname of "Scooter". In the Season 2 episode "Diamonds 'n Dust", we learn that B. A.'s father was once beaten up by three men and almost died, giving B. A. a special understanding with the client, Toby, a woman whose father has been murdered.