Hollywood is mourning the loss of Carl Weathers, who died suddenly on Friday at 76. After word of Weathers’ death broke, actors, athletes, and other stars took to X/Twitter and other social platforms to eulogize Weathers, who most famously played Rocky Balboa’s friend and rival Apollo Creed in the original Rocky films.
Weather’s role as Creed drew eulogies from athletes including Magic Johnson and wrestler Austin Creed, who talked about the ways that the actor inspired them. Creed posted shots of Apollo’s famous red, white, and blue trunks and wrote, “When I started wrestling in 2004 I had no idea what or who I wanted to be. It wasnt [sic] long before my favorite character, Apollo Creed, became my inspiration. For the past 20 years I’ve drawn on Carl Weathers for that inspiration and I just wanted to say thank you. Rest well #Rip.”
When I started wrestling in 2004 I had no idea what or who I wanted to be. It wasnt long before my favorite character, Apollo Creed, became my inspiration. For the past 20 years I’ve drawn on Carl Weathers for that inspiration and I just wanted to say thank you. Rest well #Rip pic.twitter.com/B0140gsL4l
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) February 2, 2024
Johnson, who starred for the Los Angeles Lakers during Weathers’ 1980s heyday, added, “Rest in peace to the truly amazing actor and entertainer, Carl Weathers. We all marveled at his talents on the big screen in the ‘Rocky’ franchise as Apollo Creed, and I really enjoyed him in his role as the police chief in the hit TV show ‘In the Heat of the Night’! Cookie and I are praying for the Weathers family during this difficult time.”
Weathers, it should be noted, did far more than play an athlete on-screen. He had an extensive football career, even playing for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders before moving fully into acting. He would go on to a career in Hollywood that would last decades, stretching from the 1970s all the way into the 2020s.
Hollywood pays tribute to Carl Weathers
Actors and other creators throughout Hollywood paid tribute to Weathers, who famously appeared in Predator, Star Wars, and other popular franchises. Ian Milham, a virtual production supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, recalled Weather’s famous “booming, joyful voice” when he was in the food line and decided to “freestyle a bit” and make himself an ice cream sandwich.
I turned around, the first drips already on my hands. It was Apollo Creed himself! ‘Ice cream SAAAANDWICH!’ he bellowed. He winked his approval at me. I floated the rest of the day. Had a lot more time with Carl on the show, but nothing will top that first moment,” Milham remembered.
Elsewhere, co-stars Adam Sandler and Jesse Ventura also remembered Weathers, as did Leslie Jones. Director Robert Rodriguez posted a picture of himself next to Weathers, writing, “Will miss the great Carl Weathers who I was very fortunate to work with on several occasions. A very kind and generous person. His performances were always electrifying and he was also a terrific director of both stage and screen.”
A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always.
Apart from Rocky, Weathers also appeared in Happy Gilmore, Toy Story 4, and numerous television shows including Arrested Development, The Shield, and The Mandalorian. Mortal Kombat fans will remember him as the voice of Jax Briggs, who he portrayed in 2015’s Mortal Kombat X.
Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it. pic.twitter.com/q4CWVVeyTK
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) February 2, 2024
“Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it,” Arnold Scharzenegger wrote.
Weathers died unexpectedly on February 1, having posted on X/Twitter as recently as the day before. A statement from Weathers’ family said that he “died peacefully in his sleep.”
“A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!! Everyone loved him,” Sandler wrote, echoing the sentiments of the rest of Hollywood. “My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him. Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend.”
Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.