In the aftermath of Carl Weathers’ death, the late actor’s fans and family are honoring his decades-long film legacy, particularly his memorable portrayal of the heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.
Weathers died in his sleep on Feb. 1, his family shared in a statement to NBC News. The actor and former NFL player was 76.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” the family’s statement reads. “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.”
In addition to playing in the NFL as a linebacker, Weathers gained a devoted fan following for his role as Apollo Creed, a villain-turned-protagonist character. The character appeared opposite Sylvester Stallone in the first four films of the “Rocky” series. Creed was ultimately killed off by the ruthless Russian heavyweight Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in “Rocky IV.” The character, however, was central to the remaining movies and to the spin-off franchise "Creed," in which Michael B. Jordan plays his son.
Clips highlighting Creed’s more memorable moments from the "Rocky" series began circulating on platforms like Twitter and TikTok after the news of Weather's death, from his sharp jabs and hooks to his sage reprimand to Stallone’s Rocky Balboa that “there is no tomorrow.”
Take a look at some of Creed's most motivating moments in a montage shared by MGM's Rocky Balboa YouTube channel.
In a 2017 interview with “The Rich Eisen Show,” Weathers shared that he won the role of Creed after critiquing Stallone during his audition for how slowly he delivered Rocky’s lines.
“At the end of the reading, it’s like crickets. I thought I blew the interview, so I chirp out, ‘Well if you got me a real actor, I could probably do it a lot better,’” Weathers recalled. “I think I got the job because Sly wanted to beat the hell out of me.”
