Weathers played the role of Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films with Sylvester Stallone and has appeared in Predator, Happy Gilmore, Action Jackson, Arrested Development and dozens of other films and series.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers (pictured),” his family said in a statement. “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 was born on January 14, 1948 in New Orleans and appeared in more than 75 films and series during his fifty-year film career. He played Greef Karga, the head of the Bounty Hunters Guild, in nine episodes of the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian over its three released seasons. As the series progressed, the character became close to Pedro Pascal's Mando. Weathers was nominated for an Emmy in 2021 for this role and also directed a few episodes in seasons two and three.
Last month, Lucasfilm confirmed that a Mandalorian film, The Mandalorian & Grogu, is in the works, with Jon Favreau set to direct. It's unclear whether Pascal or any other cast member from the series will be involved in the film, which is set to go into production this year
Weathers showcased his comedic skills in several memorable episodes of Arrested Development, playing a version of himself as an acting coach who proudly offered tips for saving money on everything from food buffets to rides to the airport. He appeared in four episodes in the first four seasons of the Emmy-winning series.
He also appeared as Police Chief Hampton Forbes in 28 episodes of the series In the Heat of the Night starring Carroll O'Connor and Howard Rollins. Weathers had a regular role in the seventh and final season of 1993-94 and appeared in the post-series television movies.
Weathers also provided the voice of Combat Carl in the Oscar-winning Toy Story 4 (2019) after creating the character for the 2013 TV special Toy Story of Terror.
Other credits include his role in 1988's Action Jackson, which earned him an NAACP Image Award and came after starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987's Predator. In the latter film, Weathers played Al Dillon, a CIA agent and Vietnam veteran. -war friend of Schwarzenegger's Major Alan 'Dutch' Schaefer. They are stalked by a mysterious life form and things don't end well for Dillon.
But Weathers is best known as Apollo Creed, the world heavyweight boxing champion who gave boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) a shot at the title in 1976's Rocky. Weathers reprized the role in Rocky II (1979), with a title repeat with Balboa, and Rocky III (1982), in which he trained Balboa to fight the brutal Clubber Lang (Mr. T). Creed's final film in the franchise was Rocky IV (1985), in which he was killed in the ring by chiseled Russian heavyweight Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
The film won Best Picture and two other Oscars out of ten nominations, including Best Actor and Original Screenplay for Stallone. And Bill Conti's rousing, bras-meets-disco tune Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Weathers began his film career at that time with guest roles in popular series such as Kung Fu, S.W.A.T., The Six Million Dollar Man and Cannon. As the decade progressed, he appeared in episodes of Starsky & Hutch, Barnaby Jones, Switch, The Streets of San Francisco and other popular series. He returned to his action roles with the late 1990s television films Assault on Devil's Island and Assault on Death Mountain, both starring Hulk Hogan and Shannon Tweed.
Weathers also had a memorable role as Derick 'Chubbs' Peterson opposite Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore, where he played the title character's golf coach. Peterson was a pro golfer who had to leave the tour after losing his hand to an alligator; its wooden replacement leg was the source of many jokes.
He was badly injured while filming a fall stunt during the Happy Gilmore shoot, leading to years of terrible pain. “I didn’t know it until years later, but I fractured two vertebrae and osteophytes grew out and connected, and it did a kind of self-fuse in a really bad place,” he told GQ in a 2020 interview. “There were three or four years there where I was just in excruciating pain.”
Weathers also had an emerging career as a series director. In addition to The Mandalorian, in recent years he has directed episodes of Chicago Med, FBI, Law & Order, The Last O.G., Hawaii Five-0, For the People (2018), 18 Wheels of Justice and Strong Medicine.