Carl Weathers (1948-2024) RIP

Carl Weathers, best known for his portrayal as Apollo Creed, has passed away, peacefully in his sleep according to his family. Among his other well known films he is best remembered for, are Predator, Happy Gilmore, and Action Jackson.
Outside of Hollywood, he also briefly played in the NFL, notably for the Oakland Raiders.
I always felt he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Rocky.

Rocky, Predator, Happy Gilmore, Mandalorian - never let it be said the man didn't have range.

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Not much to say, probably the greatest entrance in cinematic history.


RIP

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

RIP

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What I just shared on Twitter; the man had a talent of taking a supporting character like Apollo, Dillon, and even Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, and run with it, making us care about him even if we weren't supposed to.

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Wasn't he appearing in a commercial that is currently airing on TV? I think he pulls up on a motorcycle? (Or is that someone else)?

Anyway... "Eye of the tiger" Carl!

He had me at "Chubbs" Peterson.

RIP

Damn, this guy was an entertainer at heart, and an underappreciated one. I just love him every time I see him onscreen.

RIP Action Jackson

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RIP

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Loved his whole storyline and character as Tobias' acting mentor on Arrested Development. Rip Mr. Weathers.

Oh no. Loved the characters he's played from Dillon in Predator to Chubbs in Happy Gilmore.
Another legend gone.
R.I.P.

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Did you know that in the 1980s movie PREDATOR the titular character was not originally portrayed by Kevin Peter Hall. It was in fact Jean-Claude Van Damme donning a much more insect inspired full body suit before he left the production which then led to the recasting and redesigning of the famous hunter.

I have to see this. Arrested Development goes on the must watch list.
RIP Carl.

Yeah he's on the Fanduel commercial trying to hype up Gronk for the "kick of destiny" at the Super Bowl this year.

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Was great in those first couple of Rocky movies, Action Jackson, Happy Gilmore and so many more...

Off to put Force 10 From Navarone on (found it on Youtube just earlier this week), haven't sat through that in years and Carl Weathers was a big part in that as well.

Thoughts with his family and friends. Rest in peace. :'(

Sad news. One of the rare actors who was somehow cool and warm at the same time.

Rest in peace.

Thanks. I thought that was him.

Looking back at our first exposure to Carl in movies - his character of Apollo Creed was based on Muhammad Ali (obviously). But while Carl captured Ali's attitude, he didn't do an imitation, instead he made the character his own.

Coming right out of the gate, Carl became an all-star actor with a performance that went down in history in Rocky (1976) - Rocky IV (1985).

Roger Ebert once shared a story where he and Ali attended a screening of Rocky II together. Ali apparently was making cracks at Creed clearly being inspired by him.
If I recall correctly, wasn’t the film based off a fight between Ali and some nobody boxer who have Ali a difficult fight?

Yes. "Rocky" was based on boxer Chuck Wepner, known as the "Bayonne Bleeder"!

Wepner was a relative "unknown" in the boxing world (just like Rocky), but he nearly beat Ali in their bout. (Ali won by "technical knockout" after he knocked Wepner down with only 19 seconds left in the 15th round - Wepner had gone the distance with the World Heavy-Weight Champ!)

Wepner also engaged in an exhibition bout with wrestler Andre the Giant (which directly inspired the scene from Rocky III where Rocky fights wrestler "Thunderlips" played by Hulk Hogan!)

As a minor "claim to fame" I once met Wepner at the East Brunswick mall in NJ (but I was with my older brother and his friends who recognized Wepner and conversed with him, otherwise, I never would have known who he was)!

As the resident #1 Predator fan on this site (anybody that could dispute this claim no longer posts here) I went to the keyboard on this one.


Carl Weathers had a trait that could be used to explain acting to an alien. He had that gleam in his eye. You know it when you catch it. Whether he was Apollo Creed, Action Jackson or the man who Adam Sandler said "Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him. Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend." you knew it when you saw it.