SUMMARY
- Rocky actor Carl Weathers died on February 1, 2024.
- Weathers played football in the NFL and CFL before starring in Rocky as Apollo Creed.
Rocky actor and former NFL player Carl Weathers died at the age of 76 on February 1, 2024. Weathers played the role of Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky movies. He represented teams in the NFL and CFL earlier in his life.
Matt Luber, Weathers’ manager, said the Rocky actor died on Thursday, February 1, 2024. His family issued a statement saying he died “peacefully in his sleep.”
Several members of the film industry paid their tributes to the veteran actor and accomplished athlete. His Rocky co-star Sylvester Stallone posted a lengthy video on Instagram where he held back tears talking about Weathers. He captioned the post, “We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching.”
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Weathers was also part of the movie Predator along with former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 7x Mr. Olympia winner also took to his Instagram to pay tribute to his former co-star.
Schwarzenegger wrote, “Carl Weathers will always be 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. Every minute with him – on set and off – was pure joy. He was the type of friend who pushes you to be your best just to keep up with him. I’ll miss him, and my thoughts are with his family.”
Weather was comfortable going toe-to-toe with the big guys on the big screen along with sharing laughs on the small screen. The versatile actor has a glorious on-screen history.
Sylvester Stallone was angered by Carl Weathers’ salary demands in 2006
In an interview with Deadline, Stallone called Weathers “a world-class athlete” for his portrayal of Creed.
“I was so blessed the day I met Carl, who is not just a fantastic actor, but a world-class athlete who did things that normal actors and human beings can’t do.”
Creed died in the ring of 1984’s “Rocky IV”. Creed faced the steroid-using Soviet Ivan Drago in a fight where a bloodied Creed collapsed in the ring after taking a vicious beating. Creed’s death in the ring eventually set up a fight between Drago and Rocky.
Apollo Creed and Rocky’s iconic training montage.
Rest in Peace Carl Weathers (1948 – 2024) pic.twitter.com/DWhRpTzPck
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 2, 2024
Stallone, in a 2006 interview with Ain’t It Cool News, explained why Weathers wasn’t in Rocky Balboa.
“Apollo Creed is not in Rocky Balboa because he wanted many thousands of dollars for a two-second piece of he and Rocky boxing. Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford it. Whatever happened to loyalty? Apollo Greed?”
Creed’s legacy was continued by his son Adonis Creed played by Michael B Jordan. A trilogy of boxing movies was released starting in 2015.
Apart from Rocky, Weathers starred in Predator, Action Jackson, Happy Gilmore, and Arrested Development, among others. He even started in the Disney+ show ‘The Mandalorian’.
Carl Weathers chose acting over his NFL career
Weathers began playing college football in 1966. He was a letterman for the San Diego State Aztecs in the late 1960s. He was part of the Aztecs team that won the 1969 Pasadena Bowl. At San Diego State, Weathers earned a master’s degree in theatre arts.
R.I.P Carl Weathers#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/hIbx4fESzA
— Phil Jones (@PhilJonesNFL) February 2, 2024
In 1970, he played as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders in the NFL after being signed as an undrafted free agent. He played seven matches for the team. Weathers converted into a strong safety before he was released in September 1971.
Later, he signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played 13 games in total for them before he earned a bachelor’s degree in drama in 1974 and pursued a career in acting.