Carl Weathers was an actor best known for co-starring in the “Rocky” film series as boxer Apollo Creed.
- Died: February 1, 2024 (Who else died on February 1?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Los Angeles in his sleep at the age of 76.
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Carl Weathers’ legacy
Before he became one of the big screen’s most famous boxers, Weathers actually was a professional athlete. After playing college football at San Diego State University, including a victory at the 1969 Pasadena Bowl, he signed with the Oakland Raiders. A linebacker, he played eight games for the Raiders in 1970 and 1971 before being released by the team. He moved to the CFL’s BC Lions for a few more seasons, but with his future career in mind, he was studying drama in the off season.
By the mid-1970s, Weathers had transitioned to acting, with notable roles in the blaxploitation films “Friday Foster” and “Bucktown” as well as TV appearances on “Good Times,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” and “Kung Fu.” And then in 1976, Weathers took on the role that would make him a star, playing heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Rocky’s opponent and antagonist in the first two films, Creed evolved into his friend and trainer by the third installment.
After his role in the “Rocky” series came to an end, Weathers next starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator,” playing CIA operative Al Dillon. In 1988, he starred as the title character in “Action Jackson,” earning an NAACP Image Award nomination. Another memorable movie role came in 1996 as he starred alongside Adam Sandler in “Happy Gilmore,” playing golf coach Derick “Chubbs” Peterson. He reprised the role in 2000 in “Little Nicky.” Weathers began doing voice acting in Sandler’s 2002 animated Hannukah film “Eight Crazy Nights,” and he joined the ranks of Disney-Pixar voice actors when he voiced action figure Combat Carl in “Toy Story of Terror!” and “Toy Story 4.”
Weathers also had an active TV career, starring in several shows and making memorable guest appearances. An early leading role came in the short-lived series “Fortune Dane;” he went on to star in the two-season “Street Justice.” Weathers took on a main role in the final season of “In the Heat of the Night,” and he played a fictionalized version of himself as an acting teacher in several episodes of “Arrested Development.”
In 2019, Weathers began appearing in the hit TV show “The Mandalorian” in a recurring role as High Magistrate Greef Karga; he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance. He also directed two episodes of the series. Other TV appearances included “ER,” “Psych,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and a leading role in the short-lived “Chicago Justice.” He had a recurring voice role as Omnitraxus Prime in “Star vs. the Forces of Evil.” Weathers also contributed voice work to several video games, including “Mortal Kombat X” and “The Artful Escape.”
Weathers on a favorite moment from the “Rocky” series
“I think of all the things that are memorable for me was in Rocky 4 being on the same stage with James Brown. Growing up as a kid and an icon like James Brown, and then to actually wind up on the stage with him… How many people can say that… An American icon you shared the stage with and had a great time being on stage with him. So that was a special moment.” —from a 2023 interview for Stuck in the ‘80s
Tributes to Carl Weathers
Full obituary: The New York Times
