Carl Weathers Dead At 76, Social Media Salutes Acting Legend

Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty

Carl Weathers—the actor famed for roles such as Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise and the eponymous character Action Jackson—has passed away. He was 76.

On Friday (Feb. 2), Weathers’ family announced his passing.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” said his family in a statement. “He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. … Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”

Beloved is an understatement. Weathers’ filmography is filled with cult classic flicks where he left an indelible mark on audiences. Some of those include portraying Colonel Al Dillon in Predator (1987), Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky (1976) films, Derick “Chubbs” Peterson in Happy Gilmore (1996) and Jericho “Action” Jackson in Action Jackson (1988) on the big screen, as well as Police Chief Hampton Forbes on television’s In The Heat Of The Night from 1993 to 1995

Most recently, Weathers received acclaim for portraying Greef Karga in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian across its three seasons and earned an Emmy nomination for the role in 2021.

Weathers was born Jan. 14, 1948 in New Orleans and was a talented high school and college athlete, playing football for San Diego State University. After a short-lived pro football career, he started pursuing acting, with one his earliest parts being an appearance on Good Times.

Social media is paying respects to the esteemed actor, and we’ve collected some tributes and fan favorite film moments in the gallery. Rest in powerful peace Carl Weathers.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.