Rocky star Carl Weathers, who starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the first four installments, passed away at the age of 76 last Thursday, his manager Matt Luber confirmed. The actor also appeared in 1987’s Predator, Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, and Toy Story franchise.
As one of the most prolific figures in Hollywood, he went on to receive a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Disney+’s The Mandalorian. Of all his works in the film industry, he was very much known as Apollo Creed.
Carl Weathers Almost Did Not Land The Role Of Apollo Creed If It Wasn’t For Sylvester Stallone
Carl Weathers may have become an icon after starring as Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies, but he had a difficult time bagging the role despite his credentials. In his interview with The Rich Eisen Show, he admitted the studio was not keen on bringing him in on the franchise.
“One would think when you do something that successful, you would think, ‘Oh, man, they must’ve really wanted him, he was that good in that.’ Nope. They didn’t want me. They didn’t want anything to do with me because I was nobody.”
So how did Weathers win the part if the studio did not like him? He insulted Sylvester Stallone during their reading of the script, and the latter felt that Weathers’ comment was something Apollo Creed would actually say in real life. He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015:
“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.’ ”
Stallone wrote the script for Rocky, and he knew exactly how each character would project themselves on the screen. At the time, he was very pleased with Weathers’ arrogant responses that he thought he was the perfect actor for the role.
“So I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to. Sometimes the mistakes are the ones that get you the gig.”
It is difficult to imagine anyone playing the role of Apollo Creed other than Weathers. He gave his best performance in the movies, and his legacy will always live on.
Sylvester Stallone Pays Tribute To The Late Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers’ family reported that the actor died peacefully in his sleep, and many of his fellow stars mourned his passing. Sylvester Stallone shared a tribute video for his fellow Rocky actor and stated that he could never accomplished what he did with Rocky without the contributions of Weathers.
“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. He was magic, and I was so fortunate to be part of his life.”
He also wrote in the caption how his entire career evolved after meeting and working with a legendary star in his most popular movie franchise.
“We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching.”
Weathers had an illustrious football career and was also an accomplished director. He is survived by his ex-wife, Mary Ann, and their two sons.
Rocky movies are available to stream via Prime Video, Paramount Plus, and Apple TV.
