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Carl Weathers: Actor died “peacefully in his sleep.”
Photo: Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP
He played arch enemy Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” films and competed against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator”: The actor and former NFL linebacker Carl Weathers is dead. He was 76 years old.
According to his manager Matt Luber, Weathers died on Thursday. His family issued a statement saying he died "peacefully in his sleep."
Weathers starred in major productions such as “Action Jackson” and also in series such as “Arrested Development”. He is probably most closely associated with the character Apollo Creed. In 1976, he made his first appearance as the cocky, undisputed heavyweight world champion in “Rocky,” starring Sylvester Stallone.
Weathers told The Daily Beast in 2017: “It advances your career. But this is a one-time thing, so something has to follow. Luckily, these film offers kept coming.«
In 1987, Weathers appeared in "Predator," where he starred alongside Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura and a number of others. “Action Jackson” followed in 1988. Weathers also starred in the comedy classic Happy Gilmore alongside Adam Sandler and in Disney's The Mandalorian. He received an Emmy nomination in 2021 for his performance in “The Mandalorian”.
"Carl was an extraordinary person who led an extraordinary life," the website "Deadline" quoted the actor's family as saying. »Through his contributions to film, television, art and sport, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations.«
Weathers appeared in more than 75 films and television series during his career.
eru/AP/AFP