Carl Weathers tragically passed away last week at the age of 76. The NFL linebacker turned prolific actor appeared in nearly 100 esteemed on-screen projects, including a wide array of action, comedy, and sci-fi roles. Touching tributes have already begun to pour in from Weathers’ co-stars, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jesse Ventura, Adam Sandler, and more. As we mourn the loss of this once-in-a-lifetime talent, here’s a look into five of Carl Weathers’ greatest movies from his decades-long career.
5. Rocky (1976)
Rocky is the iconic 1976 film that launched the careers of both Carl Weathers and Sylvester Stallone. While each actor had appeared in a handful of smaller roles before Rocky, their front-and-center placement in the franchise-launching film catapulted the stars to A-list status. In the film, Carl Weathers introduces the historic character of Apollo Creed, a figure still referenced in the ongoing Creed spin-off franchise that revolves around the character’s son.
Apollo Creed serves as the main antagonist in the Oscar-winning movie. The cocky and patriotic World Heavyweight Champion is the perfect larger-than-life opponent for the film’s eponymous underdog to face off against for 15 rounds, resulting in one of the greatest boxing movies ever made. While Sylvester Stallone is the obvious breakout star of the film, Rocky could never have been as groundbreaking as it was without the inclusion of Carl Weathers.
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4. Action Jackson (1988)
1988’s Action Jackson sees Carl Weathers taking front-and-center as the title character. Joel Silver, a film producer, approached Weathers about starring in his own Blaxploitation vehicle, leading to the development of the movie. Apparently, Weathers concocted the story outline and character details while shooting Predator in Mexico, and began production on Action Jackson shortly thereafter.
In the film, Carl Weathers stars as a take-no-prisoners Detroit detective, hell-bent on taking down corruption within the Motor City. Critics panned the film, though audiences loved it, resulting in Action Jackson taking home over $20 million at the box office against a paltry budget of only $8 million. Despite critics giving it poor reviews, enthusiasts widely acclaim the film as a cult classic, actively watching and enjoying it to this day.
3. Predator (1987)
When Predator was released in 1987, it wowed audiences with a who’s who of television tough guys in a massive leading ensemble. Arnold Schwarzenegger led the pack, with Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers, and others rounding out the monster-hunting mercenary squad. In the film, Weathers flexes his spectacular physique, rivaling Schwarzenegger’s biceps in peak form during an arm-wrestling scene now commonly used as a meme to depict unity in the face of contrast.
Carl Weathers has perhaps one of the greatest scenes in the film, wherein his character’s arm is amputated by the Predator hunter after he launches a hail of gunfire on the alien. Weathers’ character and the classic scene are even referenced in the 2015 video game Mortal Kombat X, where both the Predator and Weathers’ character Dillon are playable DLC fighters.
2. Happy Gilmore (1996)
Carl Weathers managed to flex his comedic skills in the 1996 movie Happy Gilmore alongside star Adam Sandler. In the film, Weathers appears as Derick “Chubbs” Peterson, a retired professional golfer who can no longer play the sport after losing his hand to a wild alligator. After witnessing the title character’s impressive slap shot, Chubbs offers to become his mentor, teaching him the basics of golf with the repeated mantra “It’s all in the hips.”
Carl Weathers reprised this role in another Adam Sandler movie titled Little Nicky, showcasing just how impactful the character of Chubbs truly was. In Little Nicky, Chubbs plays a new role as a mambo instructor, retaining his iconic phrase, as mambo is also “all in the hips.” While Weathers’ roles were primarily action thrillers and high-intensity dramas, his comedy resume also showcases some of his finest work.
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1. Rocky III (1982)
Carl Weathers reprises his role as Apollo Creed in the third installment of the Rocky franchise as a friend and mentor to the titular boxer. Though Creed made a fantastic antagonist in the first two films, his relationship with Rocky Balboa truly begins to shine through in Rocky III, when Rocky seeks the former Heavy Weight Champion’s guidance to take down his biggest and baddest opponent yet. Rocky III ends on the classic image of Rocky and Creed sparring in a friendly one-on-one fight with no cameras or audience, engaging in the ring as brothers, rather than true opponents.
This final friendly brawl was referenced in the first Creed film, with Rocky expressing to Apollo’s son how much admiration he had for his father. In the film, Rocky says that Creed won their final match, though it is left unclear whether this is true. Regardless, the development of the friendship between the iconic fictional boxers serves as the greatest element of any of the Rocky films, headed by Carl Weathers’ exceptional dramatic ability.
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