Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the 91裸聊视频淩ocky91裸聊视频� movies, facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in 91裸聊视频淧redator91裸聊视频� and teaching golf in 91裸聊视频淗appy Gilmore,91裸聊视频� has died. He was 76.

Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers died Thursday. His family issued a statement saying he died 91裸聊视频減eacefully in his sleep.91裸聊视频�

Comfortable flexing his muscles on the big screen in 91裸聊视频淎ction Jackson91裸聊视频� as he was joking around on the small screen in such shows as 91裸聊视频淎rrested Development,91裸聊视频� Weathers was perhaps most closely associated with Creed, who made his first appearance as the cocky, undisputed heavyweight world champion in 197691裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淩ocky,91裸聊视频� starring Sylvester Stallone.

91裸聊视频淚t puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak. But that91裸聊视频檚 a one-off, so you91裸聊视频檝e got to follow it up with something. Fortunately those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people91裸聊视频檚 consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time,91裸聊视频� he told The Daily Beast in 2017.

Most recently, Weathers has starred in the Disney+ hit 91裸聊视频淭he Mandalorian,91裸聊视频� appearing in all three seasons.

Creed, who appeared in the first four 91裸聊视频淩ocky91裸聊视频� movies, memorably died in the ring of 198491裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淩ocky IV,91裸聊视频� going toe-to-toe with the hulking, steroided-using Soviet Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. Before he entered the ring, James Brown sang 91裸聊视频淟iving in America91裸聊视频� 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 character91裸聊视频檚 son, Michael B. Jordan91裸聊视频檚 Adonis Creed, would lead his own boxing trilogy starting in 2015.

Weathers went on to 198791裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淧redator,91裸聊视频� where he flexed his pecs alongside Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura and a host of others, and 198891裸聊视频檚 nouveau blaxploitation flick 91裸聊视频淎ction Jackson,91裸聊视频� where he trains his flamethrower on a bad guy and asks, 91裸聊视频淗ow do you like your ribs?91裸聊视频� before broiling him.

He later added a false wooden hand to play a gold pro for the 1996 comedy classic 91裸聊视频淗appy Gilmore91裸聊视频� opposite Adam Sandler and starred in Dick Wolf91裸聊视频檚 short-lived spin-off series 91裸聊视频淐hicago Justice91裸聊视频� in 2017 and in Disney91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淭he Mandalorian,91裸聊视频� earning an Emmy Award nomination in 2021. He also voiced Combat Carl in the 91裸聊视频淭oy Story91裸聊视频� franchise.

Weathers grew up admiring actors such as Woody Strode, whose combination of physique and acting prowess in 91裸聊视频淪partacus91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淭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 I91裸聊视频檝e been able to walk and find success as a result. And hopefully I can inspire someone else to do good work as well,91裸聊视频� he told the Detroit News 2023. 91裸聊视频淚 guess I91裸聊视频檓 just a lucky guy.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频� he majored in theater 91裸聊视频� and went on to play for one season in the NFL, for the Oakland Raiders, in 1970.

91裸聊视频淲hen I found football, it was a completely different outlet,91裸聊视频� says Weathers told the Detroit News. 91裸聊视频淚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.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频淕ood Times,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淭he Six Million Dollar Man,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚n the Heat of the Night91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淪tarsky & Hutch,91裸聊视频� as well as fighting Nazis alongside Harrison Ford in 91裸聊视频淔orce 10 From Navarone,91裸聊视频� Weathers landed his knockout role 91裸聊视频� 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 didn91裸聊视频檛 land and so he blurted out: 91裸聊视频淚 could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with,91裸聊视频� he recalled. 91裸聊视频淪o I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to.91裸聊视频� He also lied that he had any boxing experience.

Later in life, Weathers developed a passion for directing, helming episodes of 91裸聊视频淪ilk Stalking91裸聊视频� and and the Lorenzo Lamas vehicle 91裸聊视频淩enegade.91裸聊视频� He directed a season three episode of 91裸聊视频淭he Mandalorian.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频淎rrested Development.91裸聊视频�

The Weathers character likes to save money by making broth from discarded food 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频橳here91裸聊视频檚 still plenty of meat on that bone91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淏aby, you got a stew going!91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� 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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