Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed with Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. Photo / Getty Images

Rocky star dies at 76

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2024, 9:51AM

Carl Weathers has died at the age of 76.

Weathers, who portrayed Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and starred in Predator, The Mandalorian, Happy Gilmore and Action Jackson, on top of several TV shows, died on Tuesday, his family announced.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” his family said in a statement, reports Deadline.

“He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024 … Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life.”

They continued, “Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognised worldwide and across generations.

“He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend”, the statement concluded.

Carl Weathers (right) as Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, with co-stars Gina Carano (left) as Cara Dune and Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian. Photo / Supplied

Weathers was thrust in the spotlight when he played Apollo Creed alongside Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky series. Footage of the star was also used in the Creed films, starring Michael B. Jordan.

Before Weathers became a regular on the screen, he was a college football star in the 1960s, retiring from the sport in the early 70s. Soon after, he began starring in blaxploitation cinema, featuring in films such as Bucktown and Friday Foster.

“I was bitten by the bug, as they say,” Weathers said last year. “On stage having people laugh at the good lines and applaud at the end — it’s pretty, pretty infectious. Once that bug gets inside you, it’s kind of hard to give it up.”

Weathers starred in more than 75 films and TV shows during his 50-year career. He featured in nine episodes of Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney+ that ran for three seasons.

Portraying Greef Karga, the head of the Bounty Hunters Guild, his character became close to Pedro Pascal’s Mando throughout the show.

Weathers was nominated for an Emmy in 2021 for his role in the Star Wars spin-off, and dabbled in directing a pair of episodes in The Mandalorian’s second and third seasons.