By Lucas Camacho
This is a day usually reserved for Groundhog’s Day and for spending the rest of the day watching the movie Groundhog’s Day. However, today we have a passing that takes away some of the joy we usually get on this day watching Bill Murray relive the same day over and over. That’s because Carl Weathers, known for his time playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies and Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, passed away at the age of 76 on Thursday in his sleep, according to his family. The news broke on Friday, leaving a hole in the hearts of many fans.
Weathers got his big break as Apollo Creed in the first Rocky movie. However, before that he was a defensive end in college. He played for both Long Beach City College and San Diego State, helping the Aztecs win the 1969 Pasadena Bowl with a perfect 11-0 record and finishing ranked No. 18 in the polls that season. When he didn’t progress in the NFL, Weathers focused more on acting. His athletic background may have helped him land the role of Apollo Creed. It was said that Weathers criticized Sylvester Stallone’s acting during auditions. However, he still got the role, and the rest is history.
Weathers was known for his action roles such as Predator, but he also had some more memorable roles recently such as Combat Carl in the Toy Story franchise. Most recently, Weathers entered the Star Wars universe as Greef Karga: the head of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild. His character was both an adversary and an ally to the Mandalorian during the show. He was only supposed to appear in a few episodes, but the positive reaction from the fans kept him coming back. Weathers even directed several episodes of the show.
What makes Carl Weathers so memorable is his presence as a true veteran. You can see it hanging over Michael B. Jordan’s character in the movie Creed. Weathers’ Apollo Creed’s legacy is one of the main struggles that Jordan’s character Adonis comes to terms with. Weathers’ veteran status is also visible in his character of Greef Karga. It mixes well with the assumption that Karga has “seen it all and done it all” as head of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild. The Mandalorian episode “Chapter 21: The Pirate” really drives home that Karga is well-known throughout the galaxy, similar to Weathers’ status as an actor and director.
You don’t want to just write off Carl Weathers as an action genre icon. Years after their falling out, Stallone and Weathers settled their differences, which led to the creation of the Creed movies using Weathers’ previous footage as Apollo Creed. This shows a warmer side of both Carl Weathers and Sylvester Stallone: both men known for being stereotypical “tough guys” (be honest: any movie with either of them…you expect action). The loss of Carl Weathers was like a heavy blow that leaves a boxer down for the count. We lost an actor with a hidden wisdom that was earned from a lifetime of memorable roles. Weathers has certainly earned a place among the acting greats that is known by many generations such as Ed Asner and Christopher Plumber. He may have only appeared in eight games in the NFL, but he became an All-Star Actor for all time. Thank you Carl Weathers for pursuing your aspirations to be an actor, and for not giving up like your Toy Story character Combat Carl (because Combat Carl never gives up).
May you Rest in Peace Magistrate Greef Karga…sorry…HIGH Magistrate Greef Karga.
