According to his family, Carl Weathers, who starred as Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films, has died at 76.
In a statement regarding his death, his family said: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers. He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. … 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 recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”
Weathers also appeared in Predator, “The Mandalorian,” Happy Gilmore, and Action Jackson.
Weathers played college football at San Diego State University and one season in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders in 1970. After that one season, he joined the Canadian Football League for two years. He finished his education at San Francisco State University, graduating with a B.A. in drama.
After appearing in films and shows such as “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Good Times,” Weathers landed his most iconic role.
Weathers is famous for his role in Rocky, where he gave Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, a shot at his title. Weathers reprised the role in Rocky II, where he gave Balboa a title rematch, and Rocky III, as he trained Balboa to fight Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T . Weathers’ final film with the franchise was Rocky IV, where he was killed in the ring by Ivan Drago.
In an interview with Gambit in 2020, Weathers shared where he discovered his passion for performing.
“I was bitten by the bug, as they say. 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 said.
