'A-Team' Stars Bond Over Love of TV Show

June 11, 2010 — -- On the set of the new "A-Team" movie, two of its stars, professional fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and South African actor Sharlto Copley, formed an unlikely friendship over their shared lifelong love of the classic 1980s television series.

Poised to be one of the summer's biggest blockbusters, "The A-Team" opens today in theaters. Copley and Jackson talked to Peter Travers of ABC News Now's "Popcorn" about what it means to be part of the new A-team.

"I grew up watching 'The A-Team.' 'A-Team' was my favorite show as a kid," said Copley, who will revive the role of the crazy chopper pilot Howlin' Mad Murdoch.

"I had an A-Team gang that I started," Copley said. "I had a rival gang start up trying to become the A-Team. We had a fight down on the field. That was my only little exposure to aggression, was fighting for the A-Team, literally. We won."

Jackson, who will take on the iconic role of B.A. "Bad Attitude" Baracus, made famous by Mr. T, equally loved "A-Team," though he didn't have a need for an A-team gang.

"My father was B.A. to me," Jackson told Travers. "I saw my dad every day. My dad wore the camouflage pants and he was big like B.A., and he talked like Mr. T and we joked around. My dad was like B.A. and, ultimately, I wanted to be like my dad and I wanted to be like B.A. So I became B.A. growing up. That's why I became a fighter."

Just because Jackson is poised to become a movie star, don't think he'll be giving up his fighting gig with the Ultimate Fighting Championship anytime soon.

"Acting is kind of gay," Jackson told a Los Angeles Times reporter. "It makes you soft."

Jackson's remark, along with gay slurs he made toward a crew member, landed him in hot water last month.

Earlier this week, he posted a response on his website in which he said, "not only DO I NOT HATE gay people, I actually accept them for who and what they are." He wrote that he and the crew member are actually friends and were simply "trash talking."

Copley's "crazy talking" actually landed him his breakthrough role in last year's Oscar-nominated film "District 9." He learned by emulating the original Howlin' Mad, actor Dwight Schultz.

"I grew up being very influenced by Dwight Schultz and doing different voices and different characters, just for fun, not because I'm crazy," Copley told Travers. Dirk Benedict as Face, Benedict now, and Benedict's successor: Bradley Cooper.