He was Apollo Creed of Rocky: Carl Weathers dies at 76

Carl Weathers died at the age of 76. Indeed, the famous translator of Apollo Creed in the Rocky saga, which we recently saw in the TV series The Mandalorian, is no more.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Carl Weathers– said in the statement of his family (Deadline). “He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1, 2024. Carl was a special person who lived an extraordinary life. With his contributions to film, television, art and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized across the world and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend.“

From an athlete to an actor

A professional football star at San Diego State and in the Canadian League until 1974, Carl Weathers That year he decided to leave sports to devote himself to a new goal: to become an actor. He quickly landed a small role in Bucktown, which he filmed in 1975, and the TV series The Man Who Was Worth 3 Billion.

But in 1976, two years into his career, he already played the role that would make him a name: he was the famous Apollo Creed (whose role was originally intended for the boxer Ken Norton), nicknamed the killer dancer, who is both. Rocky Balboa’s mentor and adversary Rock and Rocky II, before deciding in 1982, once he retired, to prepare the latter for Rocky III (don’t forget to remind him that he must have the “eye of the tiger”). He was last seen in this role in 1982’s Rocky IV, where a fight that was only meant to be an exhibition would ultimately cost him his life.

In 1987, thanks to a meeting with producer Joel Silves, he got the lead role with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator, the film at the beginning of the famous saga. The following year, he played the lead role for the first time in Action Jackson, a film he also produced Joel SilverBut which this time was somewhat overlooked by the public and critics.

between television and cinema

Carl Weathers At the same time, he continued his acting career on television, appearing in series such as L’Enfer du dévoir (5 episodes in 1989), and in 2000 he even tried his hand at directing an episode of La Loi du fugitif. and an episode of Life Above All. He is next seen as a guest on Arrested Development and The Shield.

He then played the comic card in Happy Gilmore (1996) and Little Nicky (2000), two comedies with Adam Sandler, in which he portrayed the character Chubbs Peterson. This transition from action to comedy seems to have worked out for him, as in 2007, he returned to The Comebacks, where he played a role that allowed him to reconnect with his first love… after he was an American football coach!

Actor, director and bounty hunter in Star Wars

Always playing roles on TV, we find him in 2016’s The Colony, then in a recurring role as Mark Jeffery on Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Justice and New York Special Unit from 2016-2018. At the same time, he lends his voice to numerous animated projects and video games, directing episodes of Chicago Med, FBI, New York Police Judicial, The Last OG, Hawaii Five-0 and For the People.

In 2019, he finally landed his latest role, no less important: Gref Garga, head of the Bounty Hunters Guild, in the Star Wars series. The Mandalorian. Appearing in nine episodes of the series over three seasons, the character gradually became closer to the Mandalorian himself, played by Pedro Pascal. At the same time, the actor also returned behind the camera, directing two episodes of the show’s seasons 2 and 3. for the role played in the series, Carl Weathers Will be nominated for an Emmy in 2021 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.