Carl Weathers

Carl Weathers was a multi-faceted American personality known for his work as an actor, director, and former professional football player. He was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. After a successful football career with Oakland Raiders and BC Lions, Weathers switched gears to his passion for acting. His most prominent roles include boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films, Colonel Al Dillon in Predator, Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore, and Combat Carl in the Toy Story franchise. He also appeared in numerous television series, notable ones being Street Justice and Arrested Development, lending his voice to animation series Star vs. the Forces of Evil as well. Weathers made a hallmark contribution to the Star Wars series The Mandalorian as Greef Karga for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination. In his personal life, Weathers was married thrice and was a father to two children. He passed away on February 2, 2024, at 76 due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Weathers began his career playing college football before turning professional as a linebacker. He joined the Oakland Raiders after going undrafted in the 1970 NFL Draft. After playing with the Raiders for two seasons, he moved to BC Lions where he played for a year. Weathers retired from football in 1974 and dedicated his life to his true love, acting. He marked his first significant roles in Bucktown and Friday Foster. An all-rounder in his craft, Weathers didn't confine himself to a single genre and took up diverse roles across action, comedy, and drama in films and TV shows. During his acting journey, he made significant contributions to critically acclaimed movies like Rocky and Predator. His notable work in the small screen includes TV series like Arrested Development and Street Justice. In later years, his contribution extended to the realm of voice-over in video games. Despite his death in 2024, the industry celebrated his legacy by honoring him with a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in August 2024.