Recently, one of the most popular actors of all time, Carl Weathers, passed away at the age of 76. Everyone was upset after hearing the news, particularly his Rocky co-star Sylvester Stallone, who recently highlighted the importance of Weathers in the Rocky franchise.
In one of his recent interviews, Stallone explained that Weathers was perfect for the role and recalled that his look, physique, and arrogant attitude were the reasons why he got the role. The role of Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films (1976–1985) made Weathers a worldwide sensation.
Sylvester Stallone talked about his first meeting with Carl Weathers
Actor Sylvester Stallone recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and talked about his first meeting with Carl Weathers when he came to audition for the role of Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise. The actor recalled,
“So I’m sitting there and at 8:30, this fellow comes in and he’s mad, like, ‘What am I here for?’ I mean, ’cause you don’t have an audition at 8:30 at night – So he comes in, they pulled him off a plane going to Oakland. So he’s coming and he’s fired up. ‘All right, what do I do?’ I go, ‘Voice good, voice is good.’ And he takes his jacket off, shoulders forever. Check. Then he looked, I went, ‘Good looking,’ you know, nice. I didn’t expect that, you know, ’cause he is a boxer. – Tough. – And then we started to get up and I’m telling you, and he goes, ‘Pow, pow, pow.’ I go, ‘Damn – It’s like a woodpecker hit me.’ Check.”
Stallone strongly believes that there would’ve been no Rocky franchise if there was no Carl Weathers. Together, the two laid the foundation of the successful Rocky franchise, becoming two of the biggest icons in the industry.
Carl Weathers’ arrogance got him the role
There was no doubt that Weathers’ physique was perfect but it was his arrogant attitude that was liked by Sylvester Stallone. The actor recalled that Weathers tried to put him down while auditioning for the role,
“He goes, ‘I would’ve done better if you at least hired a real actor instead of – what do you do? – what’s this guy do, work in the office?” I go, ‘No, he’s Rocky.’ He went, ‘All right, how you doing Rocky?’ and I go, ‘Arrogant, got it.’ I wanted him to have this, like Muhammad Ali.”
Stallone further explained that he was perfect for the role as he had “charm, heart, and a soul.” The actor further explained that he was “crushed” when he got to know about his demise. Weathers passed away at his home in Los Angeles on February 1, 2024, at the age of 76.
