Depending on the decade you saw him onscreen, Carl Weathers may evoke memories of either seriousness or laughter, which is to say that he had range as an actor with roles big and small. He died on Thursday at 76, and he leaves behind a robust body of work in television and film.
After trying his hand at a professional football, Weathers switched his career to acting, starting as an extra before landing credited appearances on the ‘70s shows “Good Times” and “Kung Fu.” His most recent TV work included a recurring role in the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” as Greef Karga, which earned him an Emmy nomination for guest actor in a drama series in 2021. And he wasn’t simply an actor — he also directed two episodes of “Mandalorian” and episodes of the TV series “FBI,” “Law & Order” and “Hawaii Five-0.”
While his television credits are lengthy, Weathers is perhaps best known for his iconic movie roles, which included the “Rocky” films, “Predator” and “Happy Gilmore.” They are among his essential work that you can stream online now.
‘Rocky’ I-IV
Weathers starred as Apollo Creed, the champion heavyweight boxer who was loosely based on number of real-life pugilists, opposite Sylvester Stallone in the first four films of the “Rocky” franchise. “Rocky” was released in 1976, and it was his mainstream film break — Weathers’ film credits up to that point were for Blaxploitation features “Friday Foster” and “Bucktown.” Creed went on to be one of his best known roles. In an interview with The Times in 2014, Weathers recalled walking through the streets of New York before the movie’s opening just like anyone else, anonymous. Everything changed shortly after. “Saturday morning, I was out for a walk in Manhattan, and street vendors are yelling, ‘Yo, Apollo!’ That is scary. You are not prepared for that,” he said. The four films are available to stream on Max. (Watch “Rocky,” “Rocky II,” “Rocky III” and “Rocky IV” on Max.)
‘Predator’
After his turn in the “Rocky” franchise, Weathers co-starred in this 1987 sci-fi action film alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura and Shane Black. Weathers played George Dillon, a CIA agent who is part of a team on a rescue mission before they realize they’re being hunted by a massive alien creature. Though it opened to mixed reviews from critics (Times film critic Michael Wilmington was particularly scathing, saying it was “one of the emptiest, feeblest, most derivative scripts ever made as a major studio movie”), it has come to be regarded as one of the best sci-fi or action films ever created. Though the film isn’t available to stream on a service, you can rent it on Apple TV, Youtube, Prime Video and other movie rental sites.
‘Happy Gilmore’
This 1996 comedic film written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, who also stars, showcased how Weathers was more than just an action film star, holding his own with Sandler. He played Derick “Chubbs” Peterson, a former pro golfer who steps in to help Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, a wannabe hockey player, hone his golf skills to help raise money to pay back his beloved grandmother’s tax bill and to defeat his antagonist on the circuit, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). His delivery of lines like “Just tap it in,” and “It’s all in the hips,” made the film quotable and a classic ‘90s comedy and proved Weathers’ versatility. (Watch on Peacock)
‘The Mandalorian’
Spanning three seasons, Disney+’s epic “Star Wars” series features several episodes with Weathers as Greef Karga, the the leader of a bounty hunter organization. Of particular interest is “Chapter 12: The Siege,” the fourth episode of Season 2, which Weathers directed and earned him an Emmy nomination for guest actor in a drama series. It’s notable for its action sequences that evoke “A New Hope” and showed that the TV series could have special effects reminiscent of the “Star Wars” films. (Watch on Disney+)
‘Arrested Development’
Though Weathers was featured only in four episodes over the show’s run, they were memorable appearances where the actor plays himself. We’re first introduced to him in Season 1, when Tobias Fünke (David Cross) meets Weathers on an airport shuttle and mentions to him that he’s also an actor. He agrees to become Tobias’ acting coach for $1,100, but Weathers’ advice is primarily about how to save money in any situation. Weathers’ other appearances in the series are in Seasons 2 and 4. (Watch on Netflix)