Carl Weathers, star in 'Rocky' films, 'Predator,' 'The Mandalorian,' and more, dies at 76
FILE - Actor and former Oakland Raiders player Carl Weathers stands on the Las Vegas Raiders sideline before the team's game against the Houston Texans at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Carl Weathers, the former NFL linebacker-turned-actor who starred as Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films, Chubbs Peterson in "Happy Gilmore," and "The Mandalorian," has died.
He was 76 years old.
Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers died Thursday. His family issued a statement saying he died "peacefully in his sleep."
Comfortable flexing his muscles on the big screen in "Action Jackson" as he was joking around on the small screen in such shows as "Arrested Development," Weathers was perhaps most closely associated with Creed, who made his first appearance as the cocky, undisputed heavyweight world champion in 1976’s "Rocky," starring Sylvester Stallone.
"It puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak. But that’s a one-off, so you’ve got to follow it up with something. Fortunately those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people’s consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time," he told The Daily Beast in 2017.
Most recently, Weathers has starred in the Disney+ hit "The Mandalorian," appearing in all three seasons.
FILE - Carl Weathers attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Disney+ "The Mandalorian" Season 3 at El Capitan Theatre on Feb. 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
From the NFL to the silver screen
Weathers was born on Jan. 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to IMDB.
Growing up, Weathers started performing in plays as early as grade school but when he got into high school, athletics took him down another path in life.
Weathers would go on to play football for San Diego State University, where he majored in theater, and in 1970, he played for one season in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders in 1970.
"When I found football, it was a completely different outlet," says Weathers told the Detroit News. "It was more about the physicality, although one does feed the other. You needed some smarts because there were playbooks to study and film to study, to learn about the opposition on any given week."
FILE - Actor Carl Weathers on set of the United Artist movie "Rocky II" in 1979. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
He played another two years for the Canadian Football League while he finished his education at San Francisco University and graduated with a B.A. in drama.
After graduating, Weathers dedicated his time to pursue his passion for acting and managed to land a few small parts in films during the mid-70s before he got his big break as Apollo Creed in "Rocky" in 1976.
Weathers went on to portray Creed in three other "Rocky" movies before his character died in "Rocky IV."
Later in life, Weathers developed a passion for directing, helming episodes of "Silk Stalking" and and the Lorenzo Lamas vehicle "Renegade." He directed a season three episode of "The Mandalorian."
FILE - Carl Weathers talks to Adam Sandler in a scene from the film 'Happy Gilmore', 1996. (Universal/Getty Images)
Weathers introduced himself to another generation when he portrayed himself as an opportunistic and extremely thrifty actor who becomes involved with the dysfunctional clan at the heart of "Arrested Development."
The Weathers character likes to save money by making broth from discarded food — ’There’s still plenty of meat on that bone" and "Baby, you got a stew going!" — and, for the right price, agrees to become an acting coach for delusional and talent-free thespian Tobias Funke, played by David Cross.
Outside of his acting career, Weathers was also a member of the Big Brothers Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee, according to IMDB.
Weathered is survived by his two sons.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.