Rocky IV was the first one I didn't see when it came out and had to wait over a decade before it came on a movie channel that we had.

You are a weird wolf.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

I think it was during the '90s when I saw Rocky III on TV and then realized Mr. T was the movie's antagonist. No, I didn't recognize him at all as having been on Rocky when I saw The A-Team's opening credits during the original run.

Oh, Yeah. There was a lot of big black guys with mohawks back then. How would you not know it was the same guy?
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

I'm not even sure if I knew who Mr. T was, when the show came out. I saw Rocky III when it was in theaters, but he was an unknown to me at that time, and I probably wasn't even aware it was the same dude on The A-Team:

It was. They had Mr. T dolls, and cartoon and everything. They didn't have a Hannibal or Face doll. Action figures, sure.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

It's hard for me to recall. I know my brothers watched it, but I didn't think it was a Mr. T thing. I was almost never home and only watched TV in the afternoon right after I came home from work. Then I was right out again.

Aha. But, he was the reason kids were tuning in. Not to see a has been movie star.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

I can sympathize with Peppard.
BA wasn't even that relevant in a lot of episodes.

Regardless, it's a popularity contest, not who is the more integral character. T was more popular, which is why, he was paid more and why Peppard was jealous.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

Hannibal was the most important character, followed by Face, then I'd say a tie between Murdock and BA.
Popularity-wise it might've been in a different order, but I'd have to say Hannibal's the better character.

Even so, the kids loved T, and couldn't care less about Peppard. Even the other two. Though, Benedict and Schultz didn't care. They realized they're spot and acquiesced to the idea of T being the huge star. Peppard couldn't handle that this newcomer with no formal training was bigger than a trained actor such as himself.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

Well, I figured Rocky 3's popularity was why T was hired. He was the first one hired for the show. Peppard was hired as the real star and played the lead character. In many episodes BA is just a background character.

Well, I don't know if it was right off the bat less. But, obviously, Mr. T was the break out star and everything. Had his own cartoon, and cereal and everything, so maybe after 2 or 3 years he was getting more, then Peppard was getting jealous. Plus, T was coming off the blockbuster success of Rocky III, which is how he got the A-team job.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

Wow, that's not right - making less than Mr. T? I'm surprised he took the job.

No. He was jealous of T's success. Peppard thought he was the bigger star, and got paid less than T, and took umbrage with that. Didn't make public appearances with the other three and everything.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

Don't tell me Peppard was a KKK member.

George Peppard and Mr. T for one. Peppard and T didn't get along too well the last couple years of the A-team.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

There's actors that would like to slice each other's throats, but you wouldn't know it by their performance. They're just doing their job.

You'd never know it though, by watching it.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

And often clashed with Lear over the character, the production, everything.

It showed. He was brilliant.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!

Carroll O'Connor certainly worked hard on the character - off-screen and on.

Too bad he was awesome.
RIP Gene Wilder. RIP Robert Vaughn. RIP Carrie Fisher. RIP William Christopher. 2016 is the worst!