Carl Weathers: From NFL player to Hollywood icon

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Whether you were a kid growing up in the ’80s watching action flicks or became a fan of “The Mandalorian,” you’re likely familiar with the late Carl Weathers. Before Carl Weathers died in his sleep in 2024, the director, actor and producer had a notable career that spanned over 50 years. He was one of many athletes to make the transition into acting but stood out due to his incredible range. From breaking on-screen stereotypes regarding Black male characters to showing his range from action to comedy, his legacy will continue to live on.

Life and early career

From an early age, Weathers showed a talent for both athletics and acting. He would eventually make his way from the streets to the NFL, but it was acting that proved to be his true calling.

Early life and background

On January 14, 1948, Carl Weathers was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He came from humble beginnings but grew into a 6’2” athletic powerhouse who played college football. Even as sports became a force in his life, he was still in school plays through high school and enamored with his acting hero, the late Sidney Poitier.

Carl Weathers’ football career began when attending Long Beach City College in 1966, but an ankle twist temporarily put a hold on his dreams. Not one to give up easily, he eventually transferred to San Diego State University, where he would become a key player.

Sports career and transition to acting

In 1969, the San Diego State Aztecs went 11 and 0 and were the champions of the Pasadena Bowl largely due to Weathers’ performance. His football career transitioned from college to the pros when he signed on with the Oakland Raiders in 1970 as an undrafted linebacker. While he helped the Raiders win their first AFC championship game, he was released the following year.

His short time as a Raider seemed to predict what would lead to an acting career in a few years, as coach John Madden called him “too sensitive.” As Weathers later told Sports Illustrated about the incident, “..as a professional football player, the last thing you want to hear is that you’re too sensitive. On the other hand, without that sensitivity, how could I be an actor?”

While his professional football career in the United States was short-lived, he joined the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League from 1971 to 1973.

Before saying goodbye to the gridiron, he got serious about an acting career. In the off-season, he began studying for his drama degree at San Francisco State University before officially retiring from football in 1974.

Eventually, Weathers got booked for television commercials and bit parts in movies. Like a few other famous Black actors, he had memorable roles in several Blaxploitation films like 1975’s “Friday Foster” and “Bucktown,” directed by his longtime friend Arthur Marks. If you see reruns of the shows “Good Times,” “Starsky and Hutch” or “Kung Fu,” look out for episodes that Carl Weathers also appeared on.

As he gradually built his acting résumé, it was Weathers’ bold move when auditioning for the role of Apollo Creed in “Rocky” that would set the stage for his Hollywood career.

Iconic film roles

Premiere And Q & A For "The Mandalorian"

Throughout his expansive career, Weathers made approximately over 30 films. However, certain pivotal roles will always be associated with him, such as Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” films, C.I.A turncoat, Dutch, in “Predator” and the title role in “Action Jackson.”

Rocky series: Apollo Creed

Apollo Creed is Rocky’s famous heavyweight championopponent in the film series, who eventually goes on to become his greatest ally. It’s a pivotal role that Carl Weathers played to great effect by combining his physical presence with emotional depth.

He appeared throughout the first four Rocky films before his character met his untimely death at the hands of Dolph Lundgren’s character Ivan Drago. However, he almost blew the role by doing something no actor, especially an unknown one should do — insult the writer and star. In this case, the person receiving his wrath was Sylvester Stallone.

What led to the issue was Weathers thinking that he had blown the role due to the deafening silence from studio executives in the room during his tryout. Not taking being left in the dark about his performance lightly, he boldly told the room, “I could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with.” The actor he was referring to was Sylvester Stallone.

Ironically, his outburst is exactly something his character, Apollo Creed, would do, as he was bold, brash, and wasn’t afraid to go against Rocky Balboa or anyone else in the film. This confidence and swagger set the stage for his success as an actor, regardless of who he was paired up against, including action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Action genre successes: ‘Predator’ and ‘Action Jackson’

It was rare to see someone match Arnold Schwarzenegger’s presence at the height of his career on film. However, Carl Weathers did so effortlessly in “Predator” — most notably when the two characters, Dillon and Dutch, greet each other upon landing in the jungles of South America. After all, the greeting wasn’t just any normal handshake. It was a lingering and sweaty shot of their two bulging muscles that matched the other’s size and popping veins.

It quickly became apparent that Carl Weathers could match his famous co-star in work ethic and screen presence, leading him to get his own action film “Action Jackson.” While the movie was panned by critics, it turned out to be a big hit and also reunited the former football star with some of his “Predator” co-stars, such as Bill Duke and Sonny Landham.

Television contributions

Just as Weathers got his acting start on TV through commercials and sitcom appearances, he would eventually make his way back to TV. This time, he was not only an actor, but a Director and fan favorite.

‘The Mandalorian’: A new generation of fans

Directing ‘The Mandalorian’ was part of a joyous journey on the popular series for the actor. As he told his alma mater, San Diego State University, “..my role grew and my participation grew, not only in front of the camera as an actor, but I also had the pleasure of directing an episode. I’ve loved my time on the show; it has given me an opportunity to be creative in a much more complete way than I had been prior to in other projects.”

His directorial debut was season 2’s “The Siege,” which was described as one of the series’ best chapters and a major tribute to the original “Star Wars: A New Hope.” That led to him directing another episode in season 3, “The Foundling.”

Other notable TV roles

Weathers also used his talents on animated TV by voicing the character Combat Carl on the special “Toy Story of Terror.” He showed his comedic range by spoofing himself as an extremely cheap acting coach on the hit show “Arrested Development.”

According to the Celebrity Net Worth, Carl Weathers’ net worth also speaks about his enormous success in the movie industry, which summed up at about $8 million at the time of his death.

Impact on popular culture

Weathers starred in films that showed character depth that was not always seen in the action world. Such character arcs and emotional layers were even more valuable when played by a Black actor as it defied stereotypes.

Influence on the action genre

Carl Weather was an important figure in the action world because he was the Black action movie hero who was needed but not seen at the time. After all, the 1980s action hero podium was dominated by White male leads such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and eventually Bruce Willis. It was before Wesley Snipes took on the “Blade” series, and Marvel Comics brought some diverse characters with amazing superpowers to the screen.

Weathers progressed in the movie industry despite not getting cast as much as his White actor counterparts. He had stage presence, the physique, and the verbal cadence to go toe-to-toe with any leading action star. For example, when he played Apollo Creed, he wasn’t playing a “dumb jock” or a brute but a smart business executive and devoted family man. He was a brash competitor who developed into a trainer and trusted friend of his former opponent.

Weathers brought a character layer to the action genre that wasn’t always seen. Even in the film “Predator,” his once calculating C.I.A. character loses his life when he goes back to find Mac, played by Bill Duke. In other words, he didn’t leave a brotha on their own to fight the Predator.

Representation and role models in film

In Carl Weathers’ movies, he confidently fought against stereotypes by playing human and multi-dimensional Black men from a brash boxer turned ally to a soldier to, yes, even spoofing himself. Some of these roles included:

A C.I.A agent that goes against an alien in “Predator”
An Army MP in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”
An acting coach in the sitcom “Arrested Development”
Chubbs in the Adam Sandler comedy “Happy Gilmore”

Awards and recognitions

Press Conference for the Disney+ Exclusive Series The Mandalorian

Carl Weathers received much praise and recognition from peers, although maybe not as much as his White actor counterparts at the time.

Nominations and wins

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards: Action Jackson
Primetime Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama Series, the Mandalorian
21st Annual Black Reel Awards For TV: Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama

However, his biggest honor may have happened after his death.

Legacy in the entertainment Industry

Carl Weathers’ movies weren’t a showcase for a cookie-cutter action hero and were far from cringe-worthy and replaceable stereotypes. He went from football star to actor to director over the span of half a century. His legacy lives in TV show reruns and iconic roles in highly quotable and timeless films.

Weather peacefully died in his sleep in 2024 before he could live to see his star on The Walk of Fame. Fans and actor friends like Levar Burton honored him as they displayed his picture with his favorite social media tagline, “Be Peace.” Learn more about Carl Weathers and enjoy endless entertainment by streaming some of his films and past TV appearances.

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