The A-Team: Opening credits for 1983 action series
The A Team followed Hannibal (played by George Preppard), Faceman (Dirk Benedict), Howling Mad (Dwight Schultz) and B.A Baracus (Mr T) as they began working as soldiers of fortune.
The NBC series was not expected to become such a hit, but it remains prominent in pop culture to this day.
Three of the main stars are still alive and their showbiz careers are still going strong.
Today, May 21, is particularly special for B.A Baracus star Mr T as the retired professional wrestler celebrates his 71st birthday.
Express.co.uk has all you need to know about where the cast are now.
John ‘Hannibal’ Smith – George Peppard
As one of the show’s four main protagonists, Hannibal originally had James Coburn in mind to play the part.
Considered the leader of the A-Team, the Colonel was known and loved for his very unorthodox style.
Loving the sense of adventure and the adrenaline rush of life-threatening situations, he got a buzz out of every challenge they encountered.
Once leaving his iconic role, actor George Peppard appeared in several stage productions in his later years, including PAPA, in which he played Ernest Hemingway.
Sadly, his last TV role was in a 1994 episode of Matlock, which aired just eight days before his death in 1994.
Away from his busy showbiz life, he was married five times. He had two children with his first wife, Helen Davies, before having a third with his second wife, Elizabeth Ashley.
He went on to tie the knot with Sherry Boucher, Alexis Adams, and his fifth wife, Laura Taylor, in 1992.
The couple were together until his death in 1994, after he caught pneumonia in Los Angeles.
George had previously opened up about overcoming a serious alcohol problem and turned his attention to helping other alcoholics.
“Looking back now I’m ashamed of some of the things I did when I was drinking,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1992 after excessive smoking and had an operation to remove part of one lung, but his cancer battle continued until his death on May 8, 1994.
Arthur Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck – Dirk Benedict
A recognised war hero, Tim Dunigan played the role of Faceman in the pilot episode, but the show’s creators thought he looked too young to be a believable Vietnam veteran.
He was also much taller than the rest of the cast and so was replaced by Dirk Benedict.
Faceman was known for being the suave and smooth-talking team member who had all the luck with women.
He served as the team’s con man and scrounger, somehow managing to get his hands on anything they needed using different disguises.
Dirk is now 78 years old, with the actor having celebrated his latest birthday in March this year.
Up until 2020, he was still active in the world of film and TV, having played Stanley in Charlie’s Christmas Wish.
The father-of-three was married to actress Toni Hudson, but they divorced in 1995.
The star was supposed to attend the Fanboy Knoxville Expo in July 2022 but his appearance was cancelled unexpectedly.
Before this, he took part in a virtual GalaxyCon Live event and opened up to fans in a Q&A.
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H.M. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock – Dwight Schultz
Murdock was a former United States Army Pilot and he earned his nickname as everyone who crossed him believed he was mentally unstable, having been confined at a psychiatric hospital.
The character was known for routinely escaping the facility to join the A-Team on their missions.
Dwight Schultz is now 75 years old, having celebrated his birthday in November 2022.
The actor married his wife, actress Wendy Fulton, in the same year as The A Team’s debut.
Their daughter Ava, who was born in 1987 when the series came off air, serves in the United States Marine Corps and she is now in her mid-30s.
The star is still working as a voice actor, with his latest role being in Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! in 2020 while he also appeared as a character in the Iron Man VR video game.
Experiencing a blast from the past, in 2010 he had a cameo appearance in The A-Team film, in which he played a German doctor.
Bosco Albert ‘B.A’ Baracus – Mr T
The former United States Army Special Forces Commando Sergeant was a mechanic and master at arms but he would easily lose his temper which earned him the nickname ‘Bad Attitude’, or B.A.
However, he did often show a softer side, having a special fondness for children and a love of milk instead of alcohol.
Mr T turns 71 today and he is also well-known for his role as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III.
He is best recognised for his distinctive hairstyle and gold jewellery, and was last photographed at the Team USA Awards in 2018.
In the photos, he covered up his iconic hairstyle with a bandana printed with the American flag.
After the cancellation of The A-Team, Mr. T starred in the Canadian television series T and by the end of the 1990s, he was only really appearing in the occasional commercial.
His step away from TV was mostly due to health problems as in 1995, he was diagnosed with a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
While in remission, he joked about the coincidence to copingmag.com: “Can you imagine that? Cancer with my name on it — personalised cancer!”
He did make a surprise TV appearance on Dancing with the Stars in 2017, finishing in 10th place, and donated the money he received for his participation to charity.
In 2022 he voiced an animated version of himself in the video game WWE 2K22.
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