Sylvester Stallone’s emotional farewell to Carl Weathers, with an iconic image of Rocky in the background

“We have lost a legend.” Sylvester Stallone He published an emotional video on his social networks to greet him Carl Weathersthe actor who gave life to the boxer Apollo Creed in the first four films of the saga “Rocky” and died in the last hours at the age of 76.

“It’s an incredibly sad day for me,” Stallone says at the beginning of the video, where he is seen shocked and on the verge of tears.

“My life changed forever the day I met Carl. She has been an integral part of my life, of my success… I recognize its incredible merit. When he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw the size, but I didn’t realize how big he was. I could never have accomplished what we did with “Rocky” without him. “It was absolutely brilliant,” he said.

The Hollywood star called her partner “absolutely brilliant”. “His voice, his physique, his strength, his talent, his style. But the most important thing: his heart and his style. “It’s a horrible loss,” she noted.

For his message, Stallone recorded himself next to the painting showing Rocky and Apollo Creed hitting each other and which reflects the last scene of the third chapter of the saga. “I’m standing in front of this painting, because that was probably the last moment we shared in the ring. I’ll never forget it: it was magical. I was lucky enough to be part of his life. He remains in power and continues to strike,” she concluded.

Another mega figure who remembered the late actor was Arnold Schwarzenegger, companions from “Predator” (1987). “Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An amazing athlete, a fantastic actor and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had as much fun doing it,” he said.

“Every minute with him, on and off set, was pure joy. He was the kind of friend who pushes you to do your best just to keep up with him. I will miss him and my thoughts are with his family,” she said. added. the former governor of California.

The death of Carl Weathers

The death of the famous actor was announced this Friday through a statement from his family. “Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sport he left an indelible mark and is recognized around the world and for generations,” he said.

The warning he did not detail the cause of deathbut added that he died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday.

Weathers’ career spanned fifty years and included more than 75 film and television appearances, beginning with the so-called Blaxploitation films in the mid-1970s, which featured African Americans in roles that broke stereotypes.

Younger audiences appreciated his role in the Disney hit “The Mandalorian”, series derived from “Star Wars”, in which he plays Greef Karga, the head of the bounty hunters’ guild, who in nine episodes gets closer to the protagonist Pedro Pascal.

Weathers also provided the vocal performance of Combat Carl, in the fourth installment of the series. “History of Toys”in 2019.

He has also received acclaim for his role as a golf instructor “Happy Gilmore”where he coaches a student (Adam Sandler) after he withdraws from a professional tournament after losing his hand to an alligator.

But it was with the role of the patriotic heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed, who, hindering the tough challenger Rocky Balboa, managed to remain in the public’s memory.

The 1976 film “Rocky”, from which three other films were based (and continued through its derivative saga “Creed”), showed the world a raw portrait and a brutal look at the world of world championship boxing.

Harnessing the archetypal outcast against the odds, the film uniquely combined cinematic violence to create a classic moment that still resonates nearly half a century later.

The climactic scene, where there is blood, broken bones and slow-motion shots, sets a standard for fight and combat films. With this film, Stallone himself made his way to stardom.

In “Rocky II” (1979), Weather reprized his role as Apollo Creed, facing Balboa in a second match. He appears again in “Rocky III” (1982) and in the fourth installment of the saga “Rocky IV” (1985), in which he dies in the ring against a Russian boxer, played by Dolph Lundgren.