Carl Weathers (1948-2024)
Actor Carl Weathers died on 1 February 2024. He was 76 years old. He was best known for playing boxer Apollo Creed in the first four "Rocky" films. He also appeared as Colonel Al Dillon in "Predator," Chubbs Peterson in "Happy Gilmore," and, most recently, as Greef Karga in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian." Weathers made over 75 films and television appearances during a career lasting more than 50 years in the screen industry.
Born in New Orleans on 14 January 1948, Weathers was a football linebacker at San Diego State University, where he also studied drama, before joining the Oakland Raiders. Weathers gravitated to Hollywood, inspired by Woody Strode, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Muhammad Ali. After appearing in bit parts in numerous projects in the mid-70s, Weathers rose to stardom in 1976 as the fictional boxer who rivalled Sylvester Stallone's champion, Rocky Balboa. He appeared in the first "Rocky" film before reprising his role in the second, third, and fourth. Weathers' character inspired Jordan's "Creed" film series.
While continuing to star in the "Rocky" franchise, Weathers scored several significant roles in the 1980s, including 1987's "Predator," in which he played Arnold Schwarzenegger's former war buddy turned CIA operative. Weathers also appeared in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Force 10 from Navarone," "Action Jackson," and "Hurricane Smith." While Weathers was known for his action roles, he also had a knack for comedy, with a memorable turn as Chubbs in Adam Sandler's 1996 film, "Happy Gilmore." He reprised the role in "Little Nicky" and had a minor voice role in "Eight Crazy Nights." He also played himself on the sitcom "Arrested Development," where he served as an acting coach for David Cross' character, Tobias Funke. Weathers also voiced Combat Carl in the "Toy Story" series, beginning with the television special "Toy Story of Terror" and ending with the Oscar-winning "Toy Story 4."
Most recently, however, his most prominent role has been in the Star Wars universe, where he plays Greef Karga in all three current seasons of the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian." His performance earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2021. In addition to starring in the show, Weathers directed two episodes: "Chapter 12: The Siege" in Season 2 and "Chapter 20: The Foundling" in Season 3. He also helmed episodes of television shows such as "Law & Order" and "The Last O.G."
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