American actor Carl Weathers, who died in his sleep on Thursday, is best known for his breakthrough role: Apollo Creed in Sylvester Stallone's boxing film Rocky (1976). As a provocative, noisy world champion, he is looking for a punching bag to sweep the ring with, but the Italian underdog Rocky Balboa (Stallone) proves surprisingly tough. He might even have won.
Rocky, the film in which white America could imagine itself as an underdog, was a breakthrough for Weathers and Stallone, who also wrote the screenplay. Inspiration was bouncer Chuck Wepner, who managed to stay upright against champion Muhammad Ali in 1975. According to Weathers, he insulted Stallone at an audition when he read a dialogue with him as a writer; Weathers said afterwards that he could play even better if he had a real actor in front of him. Stallone nevertheless had Apollo Creed return in four Rocky films. In part 2, Rocky Balboa takes revenge and becomes world champion after all Rocky III is the retired Creed coach and best friend of Rocky, in Rocky IV Creed is beaten to death in the ring when he too lightly mocks the grim Soviet giant Ivan Drago, after which Rocky takes revenge on behalf of America.
Bodybuilder Carl Weathers seemed quite content with his niche as a black He-Man and sidekick. As the son of a day laborer in New Orleans, he studied on sports scholarships, but as a linebacker in American football he just didn't make it to the top; After a season and a half with the Oakland Raiders, he found employment in the Canadian league. In the process, he obtained a master's and bachelor's degree in drama, so in 1974 he tried his luck as an actor. After some roles in blaxploitation films, the role as Apollo Creed followed.
Sunny appearance
Weather's sunny charisma made him perfect for the role of boxer-showman, rather than tragic, troubled or evil characters. You usually found him halfway through the title role, slightly higher in TV films, series or B-movies. After flopping Action Jackson in 1988 he no longer got the chance to become an action hero himself.
Carl Weathers, with three marriages and two sons, parodied his existence in Hollywood's middle segment in the 2004 cult series Arrested Development, where he portrays himself as a shady scrounger who hunts for benefits and goodies; He cheats wannabee actor Tobias Fünke out of $1,100 for a fake acting course.
Or any of the real Carl Weathers in school there? He temporarily fell out with Stallone by banning him from the film Rocky Balboa (2006) using images from ancient battles. Weathers demanded that he play the old Apollo Creed in that film, an absurd idea because Creed had died in the ring. The old friends made up, and Stallone produced the boxing film in 2015 Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan as Apollo Creed's son Adonis. Weathers was also a charming but stubborn hustler in his last major role: Greef Karga in the Star Wars hit series The Mandalorianthe frenemy and later friend of the masked bounty hunter.
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