Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, who starred as Rocky Balboa in four Rocky films alongside Carl Weathers, shared an emotional reaction to his good friend’s death.
Sylvester Stallone attend the German premiere of the film “The Expendables 3” at Residenz cinema on August 6, 2014 in Cologne, Germany. Photo Credit: Michael Schilling, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Stallone said, “Today is an incredibly sad day for me. I’m so torn up I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success, everything about it. I give him incredible credit and kudos because when he walked in to that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness, but I didn’t realize how great. I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him.”
He continued, “He was absolutely brilliant. His voice, his size, his power, his athletic ability, but more importantly his heart, his soul. It’s a horrible loss.”
Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers at the 2017 Golden Globes
Stallone, who was standing in front of a painting of his Rocky Balboa character duking it out with Weathers’ Apollo Creed then shared, “I’m standing here in front of this painting because it was probably the last moment we were ever in the ring together and I’ll never forget it. He was magic. And I was so fortunate to be part of his life.”
He concluded, “So Apollo, keep punching.”
View this post on Instagram
Weathers passed away at the age of 76. A statement from his family obtained by Deadline shared, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers.”
They added, “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 Weathers is Greef Karga in THE MANDALORIAN, season two, exclusively on Disney+
Weathers was born on January 14, 1948 in New Orleans. He’s known for his iconic roles in a number of films from the 70s and 80s. He began as a television actor with small roles in popular shows such as Kung Fu and The Six Million Dollar Man in the mid 70s.
He hit stardom in 1976’s Rocky where he starred as Apollo Creed opposite Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa. He would reprise his role as Creed in Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV. He would also star in 1987’s Predator.
Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed in Rocky IV (1984), MGM
Following his success with the Rocky franchise he returned to television where he starred as Inspector Hampton Forbes and later Chief Hampton Forbes in In the Heat of the Night from 1993 to 1995.
Weathers’ most recent role was Greef Karga in Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian series, where he played the head of a local bounty hunter guild who became the High Magistrate of the planet Nevarro.
He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and fans, who will remember him for his talent, dedication, and spirit. Rest in peace, Carl Weathers.
NEXT: ‘Rocky’ And ‘The Mandalorian’ Star Carl Weathers Dead At 76
