Carl Weathers, famous for his role as Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” franchise, and later as Greef Karga in Disney’s “The Mandalorian,” has died at 76.
In a statement obtained by Deadline, his family said they are “deeply saddened” to announce his passing.
“He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. … 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. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”
Throughout his career, the former NFL linebacker who played for the Oakland Raiders and later the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions, took on a variety of roles ranging from action to comedy.
According to Deadline, Mr. Weathers, born in New Orleans on Jan. 14, 1948, had an accomplished 50-year career of appearing in over 75 films and television shows.
Most recently, he was nominated in 2021 for his role in “The Mandalorian,” some episodes for which he had also directed.
He was made famous after playing opposite Sylvester Stallone in the 1976 film “Rocky,” which won three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing.
“It puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak,” he told The Daily Beast in a 2017 interview on his role in the franchise. “But that’s a one-off, so you’ve got to follow it up with something. Fortunately, those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people’s consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time.”
He reprised his role as Apollo Creed in the 1979 rematch sequel, “Rocky II”; the 1982 follow-up in which he fought Clubber Lang played by Mr. T in “Rocky III”; and ultimately “Rocky IV” in 1985 when his character was killed by the Russian boxer Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren.
After exiting the “Rocky” franchise, Mr. Weathers played opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987’s “Predator” and in 1988’s “Action Jackson.”
Action to Comedy
He ventured into comedy as Derrick “Chubbs” Peterson in the 1996 Adam Sandler film “Happy Gilmore,” in which he played a golfing coach who played with a wooden hand after losing it to an alligator on the course.
According to Deadline, he injured himself on the set of “Happy Gilmore,” which caused him pain for several years afterward.”
In a GQ interview, he said he had fractured two vertebrae.
“There were three or four years there where I was just in excruciating pain,” he said.
He carried on with comedy in the 2003 film series “Arrested Development,” in which he played himself playing an acting coach for Tobias Funke, played by David Cross.
Interest in Theater
Mr. Weathers became interested in theater in grade school, but focused more on athletics; however, when he played college football at San Diego State University, he majored in theater.
“When I found football, it was a completely different outlet,” Mr. Weaters reported to the Detroit News. “It was more about the physicality, although one does feed the other. You needed some smarts because there were playbooks to study and film to study, to learn about the opposition on any given week.”
Mr. Weathers graduated with a B.A. in drama and went on to play in several early television shows like “Good Times” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
When auditioning for the role of “Rocky,” he recalled not knowing who Mr. Stallone was in a reading with him.
When he felt that his scenes weren’t going well, he stated that he “could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with.”
“So I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to,” he said.
Mr. Weathers went on to direct, which included an episode of “The Mandalorian.”
Mr. Weathers is survived by two sons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
