Hollywood stars pay tribute to Carl Weathers

By Ron Wynn

NASHVILLE, TN — Numerous stars have offered salutes, tributes and accolades to the memory and achievements of actor Carl Weathers. who died Thursday at 76. His array of films and television shows included most notably his role as Apollo Creed in four “Rocky” films and subsequent “Creed” productions, as well as one of the “Predator” sequels. Weathers also starred in a number of television shows, among them “In The Heat Of the Night,” “Street Justice,” “Fortune Dane,” “Chicago Justice,” and more recently “Arrested Development” and “The Mandalorian.”

A former college and pro football player, Weathers was able to parlay an impressive physical presence with equally praised acting ability. He had never boxed before taking the “Apollo” role in “Rocky,” but quickly proved quite capable of accurately portraying the moves and mannerisms of a successful performer. His “Rocky” co-star Sylvester Stallone was among the first Hollywood stars to praise Weathers. He posted a video on Instagram Friday, where he credited Weathers for helping him achieve success in Hollywood. “Today is an incredibly sad day for me … Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, of my success. I give him incredible credit and kudos because when he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realize how great. I never could have accomplished what we did with ‘Rocky’ without him.”

Weathers appeared in the 1996 comedy “Happy Gilmore” as Derick “Chubbs” Peterson, a retired golfer who becomes coach to Adam Sandler’s title character. He reprised the role for a cameo in Sandler’s 2000 film “Little Nicky.” Sandler posted online, saying of Weathers, “A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!! Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him. Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appeared with Weathers in “Predator” posted, “Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it.”

Weathers appeared in three seasons of “The Mandalorian” as bounty hunter Greef Karga and directed episodes in both the second and third seasons.Pedro Pascal, who plays the title character of “The Mandalorian,” posted simply, “Words fail,” along with a photo of Weathers. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez said of Weathers: “A very kind and generous person. His performances were always electrifying and he was also a terrific director of both stage and screen.”

Jesse Ventura, who also appeared with Weathers in “Predator,” said, “A phenomenal talent, a true professional, and a dear friend. All my sympathies and love to his family. I loved working with him on Predator and then celebrating that film with him at various conventions in the ensuing years.”