Carl Weathers, 76, a former professional American football player and actor best known for his portrayal of boxer Apollo Creed in “Rocky” and “The Mandalorian,” died on Friday (February 2), according to his manager.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers. He died peacefully in his sleep,” said manager Matt Luber.
“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 recognised worldwide and across generations,” his family said.
In addition to acting opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 film “Predator,” Weathers most recently appeared on television in the Emmy-winning role of “The Mandalorian,” a spin-off of “Star Wars.”
Weathers rose to prominence after playing Apollo Creed opposite Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa in hit 1970s and 1980s films. He apparently questioned Stallone’s acting during his audition and earned a role in the movie.
Weathers, a former football player who had never boxed, auditioned for the role in “Rocky” and went on to play Apollo Creed in the Oscar-winning picture and its three sequels.
In a 2015 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Weathers described auditioning with Sylvester Stallone, whom he was told was the film’s writer but did not realise was also the actor. After the reading, feeling disappointed, he claimed, “I just blurted out, ‘I could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with.'”
Weathers most recently directed one of the episodes of the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” on Disney+, for which he received an Emmy nomination for guest acting in a drama.
Weathers had previously directed episodes of various television shows, including “Chicago Med,” “Law & Order,” and “Hawaii Five-O.”
Weathers, who was born in New Orleans, played collegiate football at San Diego State before briefly playing professionally for the Oakland Raiders and the Canadian Football League.
