November 10, 2024

Remembering Carl Weathers: His Career In Photos From ‘Rocky’ To ‘Happy Gilmore’ To ‘The Mandalorian’

Carl Weathers #CarlWeathers

Carl Weathers, who turned charisma, talent, hard work and athleticism into a 50-year acting career, died Tuesday at 76.

Weathers studied theater in college, where he also played football. He parlayed the latter into a brief NFL career with the (then) Oakland Raiders in 1970. He began working as an extra in blaxploitation films at the time. That led to roles on TV and eventually film, where he had his breakthrough as Apollo Creed in the Rocky films.

Weathers worked steadily in film and on TV throughout the next four-plus decades, and hit another career high point with his work on The Mandalorian, for which he earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2021.

Scroll through the photos below for a sense of Weathers’ long and varied career.

  • BUCKTOWN, 1975 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Thalmus Rasulala (2nd from right), Carl Weathers (right)

  • FRIDAY FOSTER, 1975 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Pam Grier & Carl Weathers

  • ROCKY, 1976 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers & Sylvester Stallone

  • FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE, 1978 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Franco Nero, Harrison Ford, Robert Shaw, Edward Fox & Carl Weathers

  • DEATH HUNT, 1981 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Andrew Stevens, Lee Marvin & Carl Weathers

  • ROCKY III, 1982 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers & Sylvester Stallone

  • ROCKY III, 1982 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Mr. T, Carl Weathers & Sylvester Stallone

  • ROCKY IV, 1985 Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed in Rocky IV movieCarl Weathers as Apollo Creed in Rocky IV movie Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers

  • FORTUNE DANE, 1986 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers

  • THE DEFIANT ONES, 1986 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Robert Urich & Carl Weathers

  • PREDATOR, 1987 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers & Arnold Schwarzenegger

  • TOUR OF DUTY, 1987-90 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Stan Foster, Carl Weathers & Miguel Nunez Jr.

  • ACTION JACKSON, 1988 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Vanity & Carl Weathers

  • HURRICANE SMITH, 1992 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers

  • OP CENTER, (aka TOM CLANCY’S OP CENTER), 1995 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers

  • HAPPY GILMORE, 1996 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers & Adam Sandler

  • ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, 2003 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Tony Hale & Carl Weathers

  • THE COMEBACKS, 2007 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers & David Koechner

  • COLONY, 2016 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers & Josh Holloway

  • THE MANDALORIAN, 2019 Image Credit: Everett Collection

    Carl Weathers

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