Iconic “Rocky” Actor Carl Weathers Dies at 76

(DailyDig.com) – The family of “Rocky” actor Carl Weathers released a statement confirming his death on February 1. He was 76 years old.

Carl Weathers’s death left his loved ones in a state of profound sadness, according to his family. He was a remarkable man who accomplished great things during his life. He has achieved legendary status via his work in sports, television, film, and the arts, and his impact reaches people of all ages and cultures.

Weathers became an actor after pursuing a career in professional football after being born in 1948 in New Orleans. After San Diego State University’s football star, Weathers, went undrafted by the NFL in 1970, he inked a deal with the Oakland Raiders. The club let him go after the 1971 season.

Taking up acting, Weathers first appeared in the Sylvester Stallone-starring film “Rocky” as the brash, undefeated heavyweight sensation. In “Rocky II,” “Rocky III,” and “Rocky IV,” the actor continued playing Creed.

The science fiction movie “Predator” starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Weathers.

The roles that Weathers played were prominent in the action flicks “Hurricane Smith” and “Action Jackson.” With Adam Sandler, he was in “Happy Gilmore.” He voiced a character in the Hanukkah cartoon film “Eight Crazy Nights.”

He has also appeared in films such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Bucktown,” “Friday Foster,” “The Comebacks,” “Death Hunt,” and “Toy Story 4.”

He appeared in television’s “In the Heat of the Night,” “Colony,” “Star vs. the Forces of Evil,” “Street Justice,” “Chicago Justice,” and “Tour of Duty.”

“Arrested Development” featured him in four episodes as a self-parodying character, and he went on to appear in “Magnum P.I.,” “Psych,” “Chicago P.D.,” and “E.R.”

Weathers played the role of bounty hunter guild leader Greef Karga for all three of the seasons of the TV series “The Mandalorian” until recently. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2021 for his role as a standout actor as a guest in a drama series. Weathers was the helmer of two episodes, “Chapter 12: The Siege” and later, “Chapter 20: The Foundling.”