US Actor Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed In ‘Rocky’, Dies At 76
- Cause of death: The statement gave no cause of death but added that he had died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday.
- Carl Weathers’ career spanned five decades and included over 75 appearances in movies and TV, beginning with the Blaxploitation films of the mid-1970s.
Famous Flims and Roles
- Carl Weathers, the US actor who played boxer Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” franchise, going toe-to-toe with Sylvester Stallone in some of cinema’s most memorable and bloody boxing moments, has died at 76, his family said Friday.
- Weathers, who also starred in the 1987 film “Predator,” opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, was recently seen on the small screen in the “Star Wars” spin-off series “The Mandalorian,” a role for which he scored an Emmy nomination.
- Actor Carl Weathers played a positive portrayal of a black character during a time when mainstream cinema was challenging stereotypes.
- Weathers, who briefly played for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League before transitioning to acting in 1974, became a Hollywood mainstay. He secured the role of Apollo Creed after boxer Ken Norton, originally cast for the role, withdrew just before production.
- Reflecting on the iconic character, Weathers mentioned in a 2016 interview that he “stole a lot” from Muhammad Ali in crafting the role. He acknowledged the significance of the character in shaping his career, stating, “It puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak. But that’s a one-off, so you’ve got to follow it up with something. Fortunately, those movies kept coming.”
- Weathers also collaborated with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 hit “Predator” and experienced a career resurgence with his role in “The Mandalorian” from 2019 to 2023. Survived by two children, Jason and Matthew, Carl Weathers is remembered as a “beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”
- “Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts, and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations.”
- Weathers’ career spanned five decades and included over 75 appearances in movies and TV, beginning with the Blaxploitation films of the mid-1970s.
About The Mandalorian
- Younger audiences have been thrilled by his role in the Disney+ hit “The Mandalorian,” in which he played Greef Karga, the head of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, who grows close to leading Pedro Pascal throughout nine episodes.
- Weathers also had a voice-acting role in another beloved franchise when he played Combat Carl in 2019’s “Toy Story 4.”
- He received plaudits for his turn as a golf coach in “Happy Gilmore,” where his character took to tutoring Adam Sandler after leaving the pro tour when he lost his hand to an alligator.
Apollo Creed’s “Rocky”
- But it was as the jingoistic heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who stood in the way of Stallone’s rough-and-ready Rocky Balboa, that he will be best remembered.
- The 1976 film “Rocky,” which spawned several sequels (and which has been rebooted through its “Creed” spin-off franchise), gave the world a brutally choreographed close-up look at championship boxing.
- The film’s underdog-against-the-odds archetype combined formidably with cinematic violence to create an instant classic that still resonates almost half a century later.
- The climactic scene, which features blood, broken bones, and slow-motion punches, set the standard for fight films.
- It also set Stallone on the path to movie mega-stardom.
- The film won 1977’s best picture Oscar, as well as a statue for director John Avildsen, and scored a host of other nominations.
- Weathers reprised his role as Apollo Creed in “Rocky II” in 1979, which saw a rematch against Balboa.
- He was back again for 1982’s “Rocky III” and again for a final outing in 1985’s “Rocky IV,” in which Creed was killed in the ring by a Russian heavyweight played by Dolph Lundgren.
Comments From Stars:
- “Predator” star Schwarzenegger dubbed him a “legend.” “An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it,” he wrote.
- Fellow “Predator” actor and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura said the world had lost “an icon.” “Carl Weathers was a phenomenal talent, a true professional, and a dear friend,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
- Sandler, who posted photographs of the two men working together, called him a “great man.” “Great Dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell,” he wrote on social media.
We wish our Rocky rest in piece.
Will we get legend & human-like Rocky again?