Carl Weathers, the legendary Apollo Creed from Rocky, has died

“[Carl Weathers] He passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1, 2024… Carl was an exceptional man who lived an extraordinary life. He left an indelible mark with his contributions to film, television, art and sports,” his family said in a farewell message.

During her acting career spanning nearly half a century, Weathers (New Orleans, 1948) starred in dozens of notable films, such as the Rocky saga (1976), The Predator (1987) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and The Jackson Slaughterhouse. (1988) or Happy Gilmore (1996).

He has also appeared on the small screen several times, including in the latest film “The Mandalorian” (2019) with Chilean Pedro Pascal.

“He will be recognized throughout the world for generations. He was a very dear brother, father, grandfather, comrade and friend,” the family statement concluded.

His most famous character was world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in the film Rocky (1976), thanks to his anthology fights against Sylvester Stallone, who played Rocky himself in the popular franchise.

Weathers was present in the films Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985), where he died in the ring at the hands of Russian heavyweight Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren). .

He also dubbed one of the characters in the Oscar-winning film Toy Story 4 (2019) and previously appeared in the Toy Story Horror television special six years earlier.

Television was his favorite habitat early in his career, with guest appearances on shows like SWAT and Starsky and Hutch in the 1970s.

Weathers also played football at San Diego State University, where he majored in theater, and spent the 1970 NFL season with the Oakland Raiders.