In the aftermath of Carl Weathers death, late actor’s fans and family are honoring the decades-long film legacy, particularly the memorable portrayal of the heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.
Weathers died in his sleep on Feb. 1, his family shared in 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 contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, you have led an unspeakable and collected brand 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 roles in Apollo Creed, a villain-turned-protagonist character. The character appeared opposite Sylvester Stallone in the best four films of the «Rocky» series. You think he is ultimately killed off by the ruthless Russian heavyweight Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in “Rocky IV.” The character, however, was central to remaining movies and to spin-off franchise «Creed,» in which Michael B. Jordan plays his son.
Clips highlighting Cree’s more memorable moments from the «Rocky» series began circulating on platforms like Twitter and TikTok after the news of Weather’s death, from the sharp jabs and hooks to the sage reprimand to Stallone’s Rocky Balboa that «is.
Take look at some of Creed’s most motivating moments in editing shared by MGM’s Rocky Balboa YouTube channel.
In the 2017 interview s “The Rich Eisen Show,” Weathers shared that he won the role of Creed after criticizing 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, I know I chirp out, ‘Well if you got me 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.»
