Actor Carl Weathers may be popular as Apollo Creed, the role he played in the movies “Rocky,” “Rocky II,” “Rocky III” and “Rocky IV.” According to IMDB, he played on a total of 80 movies and TV shows. Other notable credits include “Happy Gilmore,” “Predator,” and most recently, the TV series “The Mandalorian,” where he played Greef Karga in 9 episodes.
Weathers’ manager, Matt Luber, confirmed the tragic news of the actor’s passing to Variety. Weathers paases away on February 1, 2024. He was 76 years old. Luber did not revealed the cause of his death.
Before stepping in film industry, Weathers was a football player. He played for San Diego State University and later the Oakland Raiders. In 1974, he retired from football to turn his attention to acting.
According to a media outlet even when Weathers was playing football, he was still passionate about acting. While attending San Diego State University, he majored in theater arts.
Weathers performed his first portrayal in 1975, one year after retiring from football. Being cast in “Rocky” in 1976 was his big break. In 2021, he earned an Emmy nomination for his character in “The Mandalorian.”
After hearing the news of Weathers’ death, actor Adam Sandler, who worked with Weathers on “Happy Gilmore,” shared a tribute to the late actor on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “A true great man. Great father. Great actor.
Great football player. So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!! Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the great times with him every time we saw him. Love to his whole family and Carl will always gonna missed as a true legend.”