From football to the big screen: Apollo Creed star passes in sleep

Young folks may know him from his key role as Greef Karga on the Disney+ "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian," Carl Weathers, who appeared in all three seasons, passed on February 1, 2024. His family reported he died peacefully in his sleep.

- Yanina Carter

In 2021, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the role. He also directed episodes of the show in its second and third seasons. But young folks don’t know that Carl was a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders. The NFL player became a Hollywood star, with leading roles in "Rocky," "Predator" and "The Mandalorian." He was 76.

Carl shot to stardom as boxer “Apollo Creed” opposite Sylvester Stallone in the "Rocky" series before the character died in "Rocky IV." Though Carl died in the IV, he was not forgotten when Michael B. Jordan began the series "Creed” playing the son of Apollo, Carl’s character.

But when “Rocky” stopped, Carl went on to star in the 1987 "Predator," opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and opposite Carroll O’Connors in the television show, “In the Heat of the Night.” He got the title role in the 1988 action film "Action Jackson" and went on to comedy with Adam Sandler in"Happy Gilmore" and the voiceover for the animated film "Toy Story 4."