“ | I Love it when a plan comes together! | „ |
~ Hannibal's Catchphrase |
Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, played by George Peppard, is a fictional character and one of the four protagonists of the 1980s action-adventure television series, The A-Team. The producers originally had James Coburn in mind to play the part of Hannibal, but it eventually ended up going to Peppard.
The character—which was based loosely on former United States Army Special Forces officer Bo Gritz—appeared on The A-Team from its beginning in 1983 until its end in 1987. The character was played by Liam Neeson in the 2010 film adaptation. His often spoken line "I love it when a plan comes together" was included in TV Land's "The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catch Phrases" in 2006.
Trivia
- Hannibal stars in movies and TV shows where his face his hidden; most commonly the Aquamaniac, whom he plays as a greet character at Universal Studios when not filming.
- One of his best escape moves was tricking a sheriff into thinking that he had already escaped his cell; in truth he was hiding behind the bed, obscured by the blanket.
- Despite clearly being past his 50s, Hannibal tries dating women younger than him.
- His most common alias is Mr. Lee, owner of a Chinese laundry; the first step in a gauntlet for potential clients for the A-Team.
- Hannibal typically outwits the military police pursuits by tricking them into thinking the A-Team fled the state; in truth he has the team hide in towns in the same state to through them off.
- He enjoys Mudock' s nutty behavior, often voicing surprise when he doesn't carry out his fantasies to their fullest; like not having a cowl for his Captain Cab persona.
- He is the only member of the original group A-Team to not cameo in the 2010 film; due to George Peppard having passed away before then.