‘Rocky’s’ Apollo Creed and ‘Predator’ star was 76

Carl Weathers, who was best known for playing Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, has died. He was 76. 

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” his family said in a statement, according to Deadline. “He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024.”

“Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” the statement continued. “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.”

Born on Jan. 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Weathers had a career in movies and TV that spanned more than 50 years, with notable roles including “Predator,” “Happy Gilmore” and “The Mandalorian.” 

He first appeared in the iconic role of Apollo Creed in 1976’s “Rocky,” before reprising the role in 1979’s “Rocky II” and 1982’s “Rocky III.” The character was killed in the ring by Ivan Drogo (Dolph Lundgren) in 1985’s “Rocky IV.”

The Post has reached out to Weathers’ reps for comment. 

During a 2015 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Weathers recalled how he accidentally insulted Stallone during his first audition for “Rocky.”  

“There was nobody to read with, and they said you’re going to read with the writer [Stallone],” Weathers said. “And we read through the scene and at the end of it, I didn’t feel like it had really sailed, that the scene had sailed, and they were quiet and there was this moment of awkwardness, I felt anyway. So I just blurted out, ‘I could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with.’

“So I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to,” he recalled.

Rather than tank his career, this ended up helping. 

Stallone reportedly thought the snarky remark was something Apollo would say. 

“Sometimes the mistakes are the ones that get you the gig,” Weathers said.

Years later, Creed’s legacy is still going strong. Michael B. Jordan played Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis, in the trifecta of well-received “Creed” movies that told the story of him climbing the ranks of professional boxing with the help of trainer Rocky Balboa. A fourth movie is rumored to be in the works.

Weathers’ prolific career also included voicing Combat Carl in the “Toy Story” franchise and he played a fictionalized version of himself on “Arrested Development.” 

Elsewhere on TV, Weathers also appeared on “The Shield,” “Street Justice,” “Colony,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Brothers.” His work on “The Mandalorian” earned him an Emmy nomination in 2021 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. 

On the big screen, he was also known for “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Comebacks.” 

Before succeeding as an actor, Weathers played football in college at San Diego State University and, in 1970, he signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He played in eight games in the NFL as a linebacker and a strong safety across two seasons.

Reflecting on his time in the “Rocky” movies, he told British GQ in 2020: “It was hard to escape taking punches on set. There were times when we intentionally went at each other. I was always concerned that if I hit Sly, threw a punch right, it might hurt. And there was no reason for that. And I think he was pretty much the same way. But there were times when we did get hit … So there were moments like that, of course. But none of it was intentional, unless it was supposed to be intentional.”

Although he was not involved with the “Creed” movies, when the first film premiered in 2015, he posted a warm message to Jordan on X, formerly Twitter. 

“You did well for the CREED name! Congrats on [a] great job, my friend. May your success continue,” he wrote. 

He also told British GQ that he thought “charisma” was an important part of being a performer. 

“And, for me, the roles that I’ve done, including Greef Karga in ‘The Mandalorian,’ there is a kind of swagger about him and I don’t know that you can manufacture that. That comes naturally, but there’s also some thought in it. There’s something about how you see the world and how you walk through the world that translates on screen, that comes across and people get and they see and they want to emulate.”

In his personal life, Weathers was married three times: to Mary Ann Castle from 1973 to 1983, to Rhona Unsell from 1984 to 2006 and to Jennifer Peterson from 2007 to 2009. More recently, he was often seen at events with longtime partner Christine Kludjian.

He’s survived by his two sons, Jason and Matthew, who he had with Castle, and his grandchildren.