Carl Weathers

Iconic Actor Carl Weathers, Known for 'Rocky' and 'Mandalorian,' Passes Away at 76

On Thursday, Carl Weathers, renowned for portraying Apollo Creed in the initial four "Rocky" films alongside Sylvester Stallone, passed away at the age of 76, as confirmed by his manager, Matt Luber to Variety.


Weathers, who also starred in the 1987 film “Predator” and had a memorable role in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore,” earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian.”


Apart from his acting career, Weathers voiced Combat Carl in “Toy Story 4” and played a fictionalized version of himself in a recurring role on “Arrested Development”. His extensive list of credits includes TV series like “Street Justice,” “Colony,” “The Shield,” “Chicago Justice,” and “Brothers,” as well as films such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Death Hunt,” and “The Comebacks.”


Born on Jan. 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Weathers initially pursued various sports, including boxing, football, soccer, wrestling, and gymnastics. He played college football at San Diego State University before briefly joining the NFL's Oakland Raiders in 1970. Weathers then transitioned to acting, securing roles in blaxploitation movies and TV series like “Good Times,” “Kung Fu,” “Cannon,” and “Starsky and Hutch.”


In “Predator,” Weathers played Colonel Al Dillon alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. He later hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1988 and returned for a spoof segment many years later, humorously announcing his political candidacy based on being “the Black guy in ‘Predator.’”

Weathers had a memorable encounter with Stallone when the latter sought permission to use footage from earlier “Rocky” films for the 2006 installment, “Rocky Balboa.” Weathers refused, desiring an actual role in the film. Despite initial disagreements, they reconciled, leading to Weathers allowing the use of his likeness in the “Creed” sequel series.


In his later career, Weathers secured smaller roles in TV procedurals and even directed episodes. He earned his first Emmy nomination in 2021 for the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” where he played Greef Karga in nine episodes and directed Episodes 12 and 20 of the “Star Wars” spinoff.


Carl Weathers is survived by his ex-wife, Mary Ann, and their two sons.