Carl Weathers was an American director, actor, producer, and retired football player with a net worth of $8 million at the time of his demise. Sadly, Carl died on February 1, 2024, at the age of 76.
Having played football for the Oakland Raiders and B.C. Lions in the early ’70s, Carl Weathers transitioned to acting after retiring in 1974. With an impressive portfolio boasting over 80 acting credits, he gained recognition for notable roles such as Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” film series (1976–1985), Colonel Al Dillon in “Predator” (1987), Jericho “Action” Jackson in “Action Jackson” (1988), and Chubbs Peterson in “Happy Gilmore” (1996).
Weathers portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in four episodes of the critically acclaimed series “Arrested Development” (2004; 2013). His television career extended to playing Greef Karga on the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” which began in 2019. Beyond acting, Weathers has showcased his versatility by directing episodes for various television shows, including “Silk Stalkings” (1993–1997), “Hawaii Five-0” (2019), and “Chicago Med” (2021).
Adding to his multifaceted involvement in the industry, he served as a producer on the TV movie “The Defiant Ones” (1986), the TV series “Fortune Dane” (1986), and the miniseries “Always Night” (2013). Notably, Weathers wrote and produced the 2018 short film “A Burger and a Bullet.”
Carl Weathers Early Life
Carl Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father worked as a day laborer. Weathers got an athletic scholarship to a private school, St. Augustine High School, when he was in eighth grade, and he participated in soccer, football, boxing, wrestling, judo, and gymnastics.
The family later moved to Southern California, where Carl attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. In 1966, he enrolled at Long Beach City College, and later transferred to San Diego State University. In 1974, Carl got a bachelor’s degree in drama.
Football Career
Weathers played as a defensive end in college, initially at Long Beach City College and later at San Diego State University. In 1966, an ankle injury prevented him from playing at Long Beach. At San Diego State, he was a letterman for the Aztecs in 1968 and 1969, contributing to their Pasadena Bowl victory in 1969. After signing with the Oakland Raiders in 1970, he played as a linebacker, aiding the team in winning the 1970 AFC West Division title.
Released in 1971, he joined the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League, where he played until 1973 before retiring in 1974. Post-football, he narrated NFL Films’ season recaps in 1999, 2000, and 2001, and appeared in pre-draft coverage on the NFL Network in 2017.
Acting Career
While still active in football, Weathers had an uncredited role in the 1973 film “Magnum Force.” In 1975, he showcased his acting talents in “Friday Foster” and “Bucktown,” and made guest appearances on “Good Times,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” and “Kung Fu.” The subsequent year, Weathers continued his versatile career with guest spots on “Starsky & Hutch” and “Barnaby Jones,” a role in “The Four Deuces,” and his iconic portrayal of Apollo Creed in “Rocky,” which earned $225 million at the box office.
He reprised the role in “Rocky II” (1979), “Rocky III” (1982), and “Rocky IV” (1985). Post-“Rocky” success included roles in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), “Semi-Tough” (1977), “Force 10 from Navarone” (1978), “Death Hunt” (1982), and TV movies like “The Bermuda Depths” (1978), “Braker” (1985), and “The Defiant Ones” (1986). Weathers took on the title role in the 1986 crime drama “Fortune Dane” and co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 science fiction film “Predator.”
In 1988, Carl starred in “Action Jackson.” From 1989 to 1990, he had a recurring role as Col. Brewster on CBS’s “Tour of Duty.” Further television roles included Adam Beaudreaux in “Street Justice” (1991–1993) and Police Chief Hampton Forbes in “In the Heat of the Night” (1993–1995).
He took the title role in 1992’s “Hurricane Smith” and appeared in Adam Sandler films: “Happy Gilmore” (1996), “Little Nicky” (2000), and the animated film “Eight Crazy Nights” (2002). Weathers featured in TV films like “Shadow Warriors: Assault on Devil’s Island” (1997) and “Shadow Warriors 2: Hunt for the Death Merchant” (1999).
Guest roles followed on “The Shield” in 2003 and 2007. In 2004, he guest-starred on three episodes of Fox’s “Arrested Development” and returned for one more in 2013 after the series revival on Netflix. Weathers appeared in “The Sasquatch Gang” (2006) and “The Comebacks” (2007) and guest-starred on “ER” (2008) and “Psych” (2010).
Weathers voiced Combat Carl in the 2013 TV special “Toy Story of Terror!” and the 2019 blockbuster “Toy Story 4,” which grossed $1.073 billion. He appeared in “Sheriff Tom Vs. The Zombies” (2013) and “Think Like a Man Too” (2014). In 2016, he portrayed Bolton “Beau” Miller on USA Network’s “Colony” and State’s Attorney Mark Jefferies on NBC’s “Chicago Justice” in 2017.
From 2017 to 2019, Weathers lent his voice to Omnitraxus Prime and other characters on “Star vs. the Forces of Evil.” He guest-starred on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Magnum P.I.” in 2018. Weathers took on the role of Greef Karga on “The Mandalorian” in 2019 and directed the 2020 episode “Chapter 12: The Siege.
Personal Life
Carl married Mary Ann Castle on February 17, 1973, and they welcomed sons Matthew and Jason before they divorced in 1983. He then married Rhona Unsell on February 20, 1984, and after they divorced in 2006, Weathers was married to Jennifer Peterson between March 2007 and early 2009.
Sadly, Carl died on February 1, 2024, aged 76.
Real Estate
In 2004, Carl paid $1.365 million for a home in Venice, California. The home is now worth $3-4 million.
Awards And Nominations
In 1988, Weathers received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for “Action Jackson.” In 2014, he won a Behind the Voice Actors Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short for “Toy Story of Terror!” He and his castmates also earned a nomination for Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short. In 2016, Weathers was inducted into the International Mustache Hall of Fame.