Carl Weathers–who gained fame as Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films, but is best known to genre fans for his role in 1987’s Predator–has passed away at age 76, according to a report in Variety.
Weathers–born in New Orleans–came to his acting career from an impressive sports background, even enjoying a cup of coffee with the then-Oakland Raiders in 1970.
Following his brief two-year stint with the Raiders, Weathers took his acting career more seriously–landing small roles in films and several TV series, including Kung Fu and Starsky and Hutch.
Weathers hit the big time as heavyweight champ Apollo Creed in 1976’s Oscar-winning Rocky (and three of its sequels) before starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the horror-s/f classic Predator in the role of Col. Al Dillon.
Most recently, Weathers returned to the small screen and earned an Emmy nomination for his Greef Karga role in the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian. The actor also helmed two episodes of the Star Wars-inspired show.
Weathers is survived by his ex-wife Mary Ann and their two sons.
The staff of Horror News Network extends its condolences to Weathers’ family, friends and colleagues.
