Who is Carl Weathers? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Age: 76 Years, 76 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Mary Ann Castle (m. 1973; div. 1983) Rhona Unsell

Actors Directors

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

U.S. State: Louisiana

City: New Orleans, Louisiana

Notable Alumni: San Diego State University

More Facts

education: San Diego State University, San Francisco State University

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Childhood & Early Life

Carl Weathers was born on 14th January 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father worked as a day laborer.

He was active in sports from an early age. He attended St. Augustine High School on an athletic scholarship. During his high school days he was involved with various sports such as football, judo, and wrestling. He graduated in 1966. Later he got a BA in Drama from San Francisco State University.

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Football Career

Carl Weathers started playing professional football during his college years. He began his career as a defensive end for Long Beach City College. He eventually transferred to San Diego State University and soon became a letterman for the San Diego State Aztecs.

As he went undrafted, he signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent in 1970. He played seven games for the team that year, and one game, the following year.

After he was released from the team, Weathers signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He played a total of eighteen games with the team. He retired from Football in 1974.

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Acting Career

In 1975, Carl Weathers played a minor role in his friend Arthur Marks' film 'Bucktown'. The same year, he played a main role in the film 'Friday Foster'. Like the previous film, it was directed and produced by his friend Arthur Mark.

Weathers came to popularity in 1976 after his role in the American sports drama film 'Rocky'. Directed by John G. Avildsen, the film tells the story of Rocky Balboa, a small time club fighter, who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship. Weathers played the role of Apollo Creed, an undisputed boxing champion who fights Balboa to defend his world Championship. The film was a huge success commercially and won three Oscars.

After appearing in a few other films including 'Semi-Tough' (1977) and 'The Bermuda Depths' (1978), he reprised his role of Apollo Creed in ‘Rocky II’ in 1979. The film was a commercial success and became one of the highest grossing films of the year.

He continued playing the role of Apollo Creed in ‘Rocky III’ (1982) and 'Rocky IV' (1985). Both the films did well commercially and gained huge popularity worldwide. He next appeared in the sci-fi horror action film 'Predator' in a main role, playing Colonel Al Dillon. The film was a commercial success.

Weathers played leading roles as well as supporting roles in several films in the next two decades, some of them being 'Hurricane Smith' (1992), 'Happy Gilmore' (1996), 'Alien Siege' (2005) and 'The Comebacks' (2007). He was latest seen in the American sci-fi action film ‘American Warships’ (2012).

Throughout his career, he has also played some roles in numerous TV shows. He played the lead role in 'Street Justice', an action crime drama series which aired from 1991 to 1993. His latest work on television was in the American legal crime drama 'Chicago Justice', where he played a main role. The series aired from March 2017 to May 2017.

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Major Works

Carl Weathers’ role in the Oscar-winning sports drama film ‘Rocky’ can be regarded as the most significant work in his career. Directed by John G. Avildsen, the film is about the story of Rocky Balboa, who is portrayed by Sylvester Stallone. The movie shows how Rocky—a small-time club fighter—manages to get a shot at the world heavyweight championship and fight Apollo Creed, who is portrayed by Weathers. The film was a huge success commercially, grossing $225 million on a mere budget of $1 million.

He reprised his role of Apollo Creed in the sports drama film ‘Rocky II’, the sequel to ‘Rocky’. Directed by Sylvester Stallone, the film shows Rocky Balboa finally becoming the World Champion after successfully defeating Creed in a rematch. The film was a commercial success and became one of the highest grossing films of the year.

He played a significant role in the American sports comedy film ‘Happy Gilmore’. Directed by Dennis Dugan, the story follows an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers his newfound talent in golf. The film was a commercial success, grossing more than $40 million on a budget of $12 million. It was nominated for multiple awards, out of which it won the ‘MTV Movie Award’.

Carl Weathers played the lead role in the crime drama TV series ‘Street Justice’. The story revolved around the adventures of a police detective and a martial arts expert. The show started airing from September 1991 in syndication. It was however cancelled in May 1993 after just two seasons.

Awards & Achievements

For his voice role in the TV special ‘Toy Story of Terror’, Carl Weathers received the ‘Behind the Voice Actor Award’ for ‘Best Male Vocal Performance’ in 2014.

Personal Life

Carl Weathers has been married three times. He first married Mary Ann Castle in 1973. They had two children and divorced after ten years of marriage.

He later marred Rhona Usneel in 1984. However, his marriage too resulted in a divorce.

In 2007, he married Jennifer Peterson. They divorced after two years.

Carl Weathers Biography