Carl Weathers, who was best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies, has died at the age of 76. Carl’s family confirmed his passing in a statement to Deadline on Friday, February 2.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” the Weathers family said. “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.”
Carl acted for over 50 years and appeared in numerous popular movies and television shows. He starred opposite Sylvester Stallone as the heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films, which were released between 1976 and 1985. His character died in Rocky IV. Carl did not appear in the Creed films, which starred Michael B. Jordan as Apollo’s son, Adonis Creed.
Some of Carl’s other notable film roles included Predator, Action Jackson, and Happy Gilmore. He did voice acting in animated movies like Eight Crazy Nights and Toy Story 4. On television, he had main roles in the shows Street Justice and In the Heat of the Night. He played a fictionalized version of himself in four episodes of Arrested Development. Carl also played Greef Karga in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, which earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2021. He also directed two episodes of the show.
Carl was a football player before he became an actor. He was a linebacker at San Diego State University. He wasn’t drafted in the 1970 NFL Draft so he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, who went by the Oakland Raiders at the time. Carl later played with the Canadian Football League team the B.C. Lions from 1971 to 1973.
Carl was married and divorced three times. He was with Mary Ann Castle from 1973 to 1983, Rhona Unsell from 1984 to 2006, and Jennifer Peterson from 2007 to 2009. Carl had two sons with his first wife.