Carl Weathers: 'Star Wars' actor known as a beloved brother, father, grandfather, and partner dies at 76

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Carl Weathers, the legendary actor from ‘Star Wars', 'Rocky', and ‘Mandalorians’ has passed away at the age of 76.

The ‘Creed’ star’s family announced his demise via his agent on Saturday, February 2. “Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations,” the statement read.

Carl Weathers: Pro-footballer turned actor 

The former professional footballer of the 60s turned to acting and enjoyed success. “I was bitten by the bug, as they say. On stage having people laugh at the good lines and applaud at the end – it’s pretty, pretty infectious. Once that bug gets inside you, it’s kind of hard to give it up,” said Weathers in a 2023 interview.

His breakthrough performance came with the 1976’s superhit ‘Rocky,’ reports The Guardian.

“It was hard to escape taking punches on set. There were times when intentionally we went at each other. I was always concerned that if I hit Sly, threw a punch right, it might hurt. And there was no reason for that. And I think he was pretty much the same way,” he opened up about his experience in 2020.

Carl Weathers' other memorable performances

In his recent work, Weathers did a part in ‘The Mandalorians.' “I’ve loved my time on the show; it has given me an opportunity to be creative in a much more complete way than I had been prior to in other projects. It has been a great experience, and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said in 2021.

The maker of the series, Robert Rodriguez, paid a tribute to the actor on Saturday, February 2, “Will miss the great Carl Weathers who I was very fortunate to work with on several occasions,” he wrote.

“A very kind and generous person. His performances were always electrifying and he was also a terrific director of both stage and screen,” he added.

Weathers voiced Combat Carl in 'Toy Story 4' and also worked on the TV series 'Street Justice', 'Colony', 'The Shield', 'Chicago Justice', and 'Brothers', and the films 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' 'Death Hunt' and 'The Comebacks.'