Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the 香蕉视频直播淩ocky香蕉视频直播� movies, facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in 香蕉视频直播淧redator香蕉视频直播� and teaching golf in 香蕉视频直播淗appy Gilmore,香蕉视频直播� has died. He was 76.

Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers died Thursday. His family issued a statement saying he died 香蕉视频直播減eacefully in his sleep.香蕉视频直播�

Comfortable flexing his muscles on the big screen in 香蕉视频直播淎ction Jackson香蕉视频直播� as he was joking around on the small screen in such shows as 香蕉视频直播淎rrested Development,香蕉视频直播� Weathers was perhaps most closely associated with Creed, who made his first appearance as the cocky, undisputed heavyweight world champion in 1976香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淩ocky,香蕉视频直播� starring Sylvester Stallone.

香蕉视频直播淚t puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak. But that香蕉视频直播檚 a one-off, so you香蕉视频直播檝e got to follow it up with something. Fortunately those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people香蕉视频直播檚 consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time,香蕉视频直播� he told The Daily Beast in 2017.

Most recently, Weathers has starred in the Disney+ hit 香蕉视频直播淭he Mandalorian,香蕉视频直播� appearing in all three seasons.

Creed, who appeared in the first four 香蕉视频直播淩ocky香蕉视频直播� movies, memorably died in the ring of 1984香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淩ocky IV,香蕉视频直播� going toe-to-toe with the hulking, steroided-using Soviet Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. Before he entered the ring, James Brown sang 香蕉视频直播淟iving in America香蕉视频直播� with showgirls and Creed popped up on a balcony in a Star-Spangled Banner shorts and waistcoat combo and an Uncle Sam hat, dancing and taunting Drago.

A bloodied Creed collapses in the ring after taking a vicious beating, twitches and is cradled by Rocky as he dies, inevitably setting up a fight between Drago and Rocky. But while Creed is gone, his character香蕉视频直播檚 son, Michael B. Jordan香蕉视频直播檚 Adonis Creed, would lead his own boxing trilogy starting in 2015.

Weathers went on to 1987香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淧redator,香蕉视频直播� where he flexed his pecs alongside Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura and a host of others, and 1988香蕉视频直播檚 nouveau blaxploitation flick 香蕉视频直播淎ction Jackson,香蕉视频直播� where he trains his flamethrower on a bad guy and asks, 香蕉视频直播淗ow do you like your ribs?香蕉视频直播� before broiling him.

He later added a false wooden hand to play a gold pro for the 1996 comedy classic 香蕉视频直播淗appy Gilmore香蕉视频直播� opposite Adam Sandler and starred in Dick Wolf香蕉视频直播檚 short-lived spin-off series 香蕉视频直播淐hicago Justice香蕉视频直播� in 2017 and in Disney香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淭he Mandalorian,香蕉视频直播� earning an Emmy Award nomination in 2021. He also voiced Combat Carl in the 香蕉视频直播淭oy Story香蕉视频直播� franchise.

Weathers grew up admiring actors such as Woody Strode, whose combination of physique and acting prowess in 香蕉视频直播淪partacus香蕉视频直播� made an early impression. Others he idolized included actors Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte and athletes Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali, stars who broke the mold and the color barrier.

香蕉视频直播淭here are so many people that came before me who I admired and whose success I wanted to emulate, and just kind of hit the benchmarks they hit in terms of success, who created a pathway that I香蕉视频直播檝e been able to walk and find success as a result. And hopefully I can inspire someone else to do good work as well,香蕉视频直播� he told the Detroit News 2023. 香蕉视频直播淚 guess I香蕉视频直播檓 just a lucky guy.香蕉视频直播�

Growing up in New Orleans, Weathers started performing in plays as early as grade school. In high school, athletics took him down another path but he would reunite with his first love later in life.

Weathers played college football at San Diego State University 香蕉视频直播� he majored in theater 香蕉视频直播� and went on to play for one season in the NFL, for the Oakland Raiders, in 1970.

香蕉视频直播淲hen I found football, it was a completely different outlet,香蕉视频直播� says Weathers told the Detroit News. 香蕉视频直播淚t was more about the physicality, although one does feed the other. You needed some smarts because there were playbooks to study and film to study, to learn about the opposition on any given week.香蕉视频直播�

After the Raiders, he joined the Canadian Football League, playing for two years with the B.C. Lions while finishing up his studies during the offseason at San Francisco State University. He graduated with a B.A. in drama in 1974.

After appearing in several films and TV shows, including 香蕉视频直播淕ood Times,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭he Six Million Dollar Man,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淚n the Heat of the Night香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淪tarsky & Hutch,香蕉视频直播� as well as fighting Nazis alongside Harrison Ford in 香蕉视频直播淔orce 10 From Navarone,香蕉视频直播� Weathers landed his knockout role 香蕉视频直播� Creed. He told The Hollywood Reporter that his start in the iconic franchise was not auspicious.

He was asked to read with the writer, Stallone, then unknown. Weathers read the scene but felt it didn香蕉视频直播檛 land and so he blurted out: 香蕉视频直播淚 could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with,香蕉视频直播� he recalled. 香蕉视频直播淪o I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to.香蕉视频直播� He also lied that he had any boxing experience.

Later in life, Weathers developed a passion for directing, helming episodes of 香蕉视频直播淪ilk Stalking香蕉视频直播� and and the Lorenzo Lamas vehicle 香蕉视频直播淩enegade.香蕉视频直播� He directed a season three episode of 香蕉视频直播淭he Mandalorian.香蕉视频直播�

Weathers introduced himself to another generation when he portrayed himself as an opportunistic and extremely thrifty actor who becomes involved with the dysfunctional clan at the heart of 香蕉视频直播淎rrested Development.香蕉视频直播�

The Weathers character likes to save money by making broth from discarded food 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播橳here香蕉视频直播檚 still plenty of meat on that bone香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淏aby, you got a stew going!香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� and, for the right price, agrees to become an acting coach for delusional and talent-free thespian Tobias Funke, played by David Cross.

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