“He was magic and I was so fortunate to be part of his life,” the “Rocky” star wrote of Weathers, who died yesterday at age 76.
The action star, who created and played Rocky Balboa, posted a moving video tribute to Weathers, the actor who played his rival-turned-friend in the Rocky franchise’s first four movies. Weathers died Thursday at 76. “Today is an incredibly sad day for me,” Stallone said, standing in front of a painting of Rocky and Creed. “I mean, I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success, everything about it.”
Stallone went on to thank Weathers for his indelible contributions to the Rocky movies. “I give him incredible credit and kudos because when he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness, but I didn’t realize how great,” the actor said. “I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him. He was absolutely brilliant: his voice, his size, his power, his athletic ability, but more importantly, his heart, his soul.”
“It’s a horrible loss,” Stallone continued. “And I’m standing here in front of this painting because it was probably the last moment we were ever in the ring together, and I’ll never forget it. He was magic, and I was so fortunate to be part of his life. So Apollo, keep punching.”
Weathers’ Creed served as the primary antagonist for the first Rocky movie in 1976, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as the 1979 sequel Rocky II. He warmed up to Balboa in the subsequent sequels Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985), becoming an essential ally for the Italian Stallion before the character’s demise at the hand of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
After his time in the Rocky series concluded, Weathers costarred in Predator alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator actor penned a tribute to Weathers on Instagram. “Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person,” Schwarzenegger wrote. “We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it. Every minute with him – on set and off – was pure joy. He was the type of friend who pushes you to be your best just to keep up with him. I’ll miss him, and my thoughts are with his family.”
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