Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in the first four “Rocky” movies alongside Sylvester Stallone, passed away on Thursday at the age of 76, as confirmed by his manager Matt Luber to Variety.
Weathers also appeared in the 1987 film “Predator” and had a memorable role in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore.” He was recognized with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work in the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian.”
He provided the voice for Combat Carl in “Toy Story 4” and portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in a recurring role on “Arrested Development.” His extensive credits also include appearances in TV series such as “Street Justice,” “Colony,” “The Shield,” “Chicago Justice” and “Brothers,” as well as roles in films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Death Hunt” and “The Comebacks.”
Following his collaboration with Sandler on the 1996 comedy “Happy Gilmore,” Weathers briefly reprised his role in “Little Nicky” and lent his voice to a character in Sandler’s animated Hanukkah comedy “Eight Crazy Nights.”
Born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Weathers was involved in various sports including boxing, football, soccer, wrestling and gymnastics. He played college football at San Diego State University and was part of the team that won the 1969 Pasadena Bowl. While at SDSU, Weathers also pursued a degree in theatre arts, but eventually signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent in 1970, playing as a linebacker in the NFL for two seasons.
After his time in professional football, Weathers shifted his focus to acting, securing minor roles in Arthur Marks’ blaxploitation films “Bucktown” and “Friday Foster,” as well as appearances on TV series like “Good Times,” “Kung Fu,” “Cannon” and “Starsky and Hutch.”
In “Predator,” Weathers played Colonel Al Dillon alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, who would later become the governor of California, and Jesse Ventura, who became the Minnesota governor. In 1988, Weathers hosted “Saturday Night Live” and, many years later, returned to the show for a parody segment announcing his political candidacy based on his role in “Predator.”
When Stallone requested permission to use footage from earlier “Rocky” films for the sixth installment in the franchise, 2006’s “Rocky Balboa,” Weathers declined and advocated for an actual part in the movie, despite his character, Apollo Creed, dying in “Rocky IV.” Although Stallone refused and hired a lookalike actor for flashback sequences, the two later reconciled and Weathers permitted the use of his likeness in the “Creed” sequel series, featuring Michael B. Jordan as Apollo Creed’s son.
In his later career, Weathers secured smaller roles in TV procedurals and even directed episodes of them. He received his first Emmy nomination in 2021 for the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” in which he portrayed Greef Karga in nine episodes over three seasons. Weathers also directed Episodes 12 and 20 of the “Star Wars” spinoff.
Weathers is survived by his ex-wife, Mary Ann, and their two sons.