Hollywood honored Carl Weathers Thursday with a Walk of Fame star for the late actor who starred alongside Sylvester Stallone as a rival-turned-pal in four "Rocky" films.
Weathers, who died Feb. 2 at age 76, became only the second person to receive a star in the sports entertainment category. The category honors individuals, not teams or sports affiliated groups, who have made significant contributions to the world of entertainment and demonstrated longevity of excellence" in their sport.
"I was an actor before I was an athlete," Weathers said in a 2021 interview with SDSU NewsCenter. "I started acting when I was in grade school, and I majored in theater while I was on a football scholarship. There was always a Jekyll and Hyde, well, actually I'll just say a 'split personality' between the artistic and the athletic, which I learned to love."
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Born in New Orleans, Weathers moved to Long Beach with his family, attending Long Beach Poly High. He attended Long Beach City College for two years before transferring to San Diego State. Weathers was a first-team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association linebacker as a San Diego State senior in 1969, then played seven games and two
playoff games for the Oakland Raiders in 1970 and one regular-season game in 1971 before being cut, with coach John Madden telling him, "You're just too sensitive."
Weathers' football career ended with 18 games as a member of the Canadian Football League's BC Lions from 1971-73.
The Walk of Fame star ceremony was sponsored by the Raiders. Owner Mark Davis, former quarterback Jim Plunkett, Phil Villapiano, a Raiders' teammate of Weathers in 1971, were expected to attend. Actor-directors LeVar Burton and Bryce Dallas Howard were among speakers at the ceremony,
"Everybody learned from him because he was a natural leader, and wherever he went people would light up and stand tall," Howard said.
Son Jason Weathers also spoke at the Walk of Fame event.
"I wish he could be here to experience this, but I know he’s looking down right now and enjoying this," Jason Weathers said. "He’s proud of what he created. So am I."
At SDSU, Weathers also began acting, starring in campus theater productions. His first credited role came in 1975 in the CBS comedy "Good Times," playing the husband of a woman (Betty A. Bridges) who commissions JJ (Jimmy Walker) to paint a picture of her to give to her husband for her birthday.
But it was the "Rocky" film franchise for which Weathers is best remembered. Portraying uber-confident heavyweight champ Appollo Creed, Weathers' character was the boxing nemesis to Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa before the two developed one of film's great on-screen friendships.
"Rocky" won best picture Oscar in 1977.
"Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success," Stallone said in a video posted on Instagram after learning of Weathers' death. "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.
"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. And more importantly his heart and soul."
Weathers reprised the role in the next three "Rocky" films.
Weathers' other memorable film roles included Col. Al Dillon in the 1987 sci-fi/action film "Predator," and golf pro Chubbs Peterson in the 1996 comedy "Happy Gilmore." Weathers starred in the 1991-93 syndicated action crime drama "Street Justice," co-starred on the final season of the CBS crime drama "In the Heat of the Night" in the 1993-94 season, and had a recurring role as an exaggerated version of himself in the Fox comedy "Arrested Development."
Weathers' recurring role as High Magistrate Greef Karga in the Disney+ "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" brought him an outstanding guest actor in a drama series Emmy nomination in 2021.
Weathers also directed episodes of "The Mandalorian," "FBI," "Chicago Med," "Hawaii 5-0" and "Law & Order."
