CARL WEATHERS

When news of Carl Weathers’ death broke, a charming anecdote from one of his collaborators went viral on social media. In a 2013 interview for Vulture, Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz explained the genesis of one of that sitcom’s funniest recurring guest roles, in which Weathers plays a cheapskate version of himself. Paid to provide acting lessons for aspiring thespian Tobias Fünke (David Cross), he instead primarily offers tips on thriftiness, such as only buying cars from police auctions and making stew from old chicken bones and leftovers. One might expect that pitching Weathers such a subversion of his celebrity persona – the actor being best known as boxing champion Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise – would be an awkward proposal. As Hurwitz tells the story, it was in fact Weathers’ own idea.

‘It’s not going to be just a bunch of Rocky jokes, is it?’ asked Weathers, according to Hurwitz. ‘Because I direct and I’m a funny guy and I don’t wanna just do a bunch of Rocky jokes. Nobody wants that. Maybe I could be really cheap or something?’ Given that Hurwitz apparently originally planned to reference Rocky III with the cameo, Weathers’ canny thinking is directly responsible for one of the show’s most beloved gags. And that’s a testament to his talents in general: no matter how big or small the part, the presence of Carl Weathers always made a film or show better.

After a brief stint in professional football, the New Orleans-born Weathers started his screen career in the mid 70s. Following bit parts in blaxploitation hits, his role as the magnetic Apollo Creed in Rocky helped him become a valuable supporting player in big productions, such as war movie Force 10 from Navarone and, most notably, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger as ‘son of a bitch’

Dillon in Predator. Weathers returned for all the Rocky sequels up to IV, in which – spoiler alert – Creed dies in the ring. Maximalist cop thriller Action Jackson gave the actor a rare leading role on the big screen. While only a moderate box-office success, it has endured since as a cult classic.

Heading into the 90s, Weathers shone as a regular in crime series Street Justice and In the Heat of the Night, while Happy Gilmore showcased the comic talents he’d put to great use in the back half of his career. He still excelled in dramatic roles on TV, including recurring parts in The Shield and, most recently, The Mandalorian. A respected director for television, he also helmed two episodes of that Star Wars show, in which he played Greef Karga, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor. Both in front of and behind the camera, Weathers delivered knockouts to the very end.