Angels:

American actor Carl Weathers, who played boxer Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” films and was involved in some of the film’s most memorable and bloodiest boxing moments, has died. Sylvester Stallone went head-to-head Carl Weathers has died, his family said Friday. He is 76 years old.

Weathers also starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 film “Predator” and most recently appeared on the small screen in the “Star Wars” spin-off “The Mandalorian” and is credited with The role won an Emmy Award.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” his family said, according to Deadline.

“Carl was an exceptional man who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sport, he left an indelible mark and has been recognized around the world and across generations.”

The statement did not reveal the cause of his death, but added that he died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday.

Weathers’ career spanned 50 years, beginning with the blaxploitation films of the mid-1970s and appearing in more than 75 films and TV series.

Young viewers are excited about his role in Disney+ hit “The Mandalorian,” in which he plays Greef Karga, leader of the bounty hunter guild, in nine episodes. , he grew closer to leader Pedro Pascal.

Weathers also had a voice role in another beloved franchise, when he played Fighting Carl in 2019’s Toy Story 4.

He was praised for his role as a golf coach in “Happy Gilmore,” in which his character begins tutoring Adam Sandler after he leaves the professional tour after losing his hand to a gator.

– ‘Legend’ –

But it’s for his performance as chauvinistic heavyweight boxer Apollo Creed who stood in the way of Stallone’s gruff Rocky Balboa that he is best remembered.

The 1976 film “Rocky” spawned multiple sequels (and a reboot via its spin-off series “Creed”) and gave the world an up-close look at the brutal choreography of a championship boxing match.

The film’s archetypes of adversity and cinematic violence powerfully combine to create an instant classic that still resonates nearly half a century later.

The climactic scene, featuring blood, broken bones and slow-motion punches, set the standard for fight movies.

It also launched Stallone on the path to movie stardom.

The film won the 1977 Academy Award for Best Picture, a statue for director John Avildsen, and received numerous other nominations.

In 1979, Weathers reprized his role as Apollo Creed in Rocky II, rematching with Balboa.

He returned in 1982’s Rocky III and again in 1985’s Rocky IV, in which Creed was killed in the ring by a Russian heavyweight boxer played by Dolph Lundgren .

“Predator” star Schwarzenegger called him a “legend.”

“An outstanding athlete, a wonderful actor, and a great human being. We wouldn’t have been able to make ‘Predator’ without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a great time making it,” he wrote road.

“Predator” actor and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura said the world had lost “an icon.”

“Carl Weathers was an extraordinary talent, a true professional, and a dear friend,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Sandler posted a photo of the two working together, calling him a “great guy.”

“Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So fun to be around all the time. So smart. So loyal. So fun,” he wrote on social media.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)