Carl Weathers

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Carl Weathers
Born January 14, 1948 (1948-01-14) (age 60)
New Orleans, Louisiana,
Flag of the United States United States

Carl Weathers (born January 14, 1948) is an American actor, as well as former professional football player in the United States and Canada. He is best known for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of films, as well as his role in the first Predator movie.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Personal life

Weathers was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] He graduated from St. Augustine High School and then went to San Diego State University. Outside of acting, he is a member of both Big Brothers and the United States Olympic Committee. In April 2007, he married Jennifer Peterson, a documentary filmmaker.

[edit] Football career

At San Diego State University, Carl was a member of the football team. This led to a brief career as a linebacker with the Oakland Raiders, where he played 7 games in 1970 and one game in 1971. He joined the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League in 1971 and played until 1973, 18 games in total. He retired in 1974 to become an actor.

[edit] Acting career

Weathers had his first parts in two Arthur Marks directed 1970s blaxploitation films: Bucktown and Friday Foster, both in 1975. Weathers also appeared in an episode on the 70's sitcom Good Times as an angry husband who suspected his wife of cheating on him with JJ. Ironically, though his character was presumably supposed to be older, Carl is actually one year younger than Jimmie Walker.

In 1976, he starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in Rocky as Apollo Creed, a role he would reprise in the next three Rocky films in 1979, 1982, and 1985. For the most recent film in the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone asked Weathers, Mr. T, and Dolph Lundgren for permission to use footage from their appearances in the earlier Rocky movies. Mr. T and Dolph Lundgren gave him their graces, however Weathers wanted an actual part in the movie, even though his character died in Rocky IV. Stallone refused and Weathers decided not to allow Stallone to use his image for Rocky flashbacks from the previous movies. They instead decided to use new footage of a fighter who looks similar to Weathers.[2]

In 1978 Carl portrayed misogynist Vince Sullivan in the TV movie, Not This Time. Weathers also starred in a number of action films, both theatrically and on television, including: Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Predator (1987), Action Jackson (1988), and Hurricane Smith (1992), and is briefly seen as an Army MP in one of the three released versions of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As a member of the cast of Predator, Weathers worked with future California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and future Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura. Many years later he appeared in a spoof segment on Saturday Night Live, announcing that he was running for political office and urging viewers to vote for him on the basis that "he was the other guy in Predator".

He also appeared in Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl" music video. He also had the role of Chubbs in Happy Gilmore.

During the final season of In the Heat of the Night, his character of Hampton Forbes replaced Bill Gillespie at the chief of the Sparta, Mississippi police. He continued that role in the television movies based on the series. His noted other TV role was on the cop show Street Justice where he played Sgt. Adam Beaudreaux. He also played as MACV-SOG Colonel Brewster in the CBS series Tour of Duty.

In 2004, Weathers received a career revival as a comedic actor. Beginning with appearances in 3 episodes of the comedy series Arrested Development as a cheapskate caricature of himself. He was then cast in the comedies The Sasquatch Gang and The Comebacks, which was his first major role in a film since 1992's Hurricane Smith.

Weathers had a guest role in two episodes (to date) of The Shield as the former training officer of main character Vic Mackey.

Weathers provided the voice for Colonel Samuel Garret in the Pandemic Studios video game, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction.[3] In 2005, he was a narrator on Conquest! The Price Of Victory - Witness The Journey of the Trojans!, an 18-part television show about USC athletics.

Weathers is a principal of Red Tight Media, a film and video production company that specializes in tactical training films made for the United States armed forces.[citation needed]

He is currently acting as "Brian "Gebo" Fitzgerald" in advertising for Old Spice's sponsorship of NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.

He is also currently acting in viral videos as a reappearing conscientious man on a bicycle offering advice to unsuspecting people. See www.changeisbeautiful.net

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Phoo Action Police Chief Benjamin 'Ben' Benson TV series
2007 The Comebacks Freddie Wiseman/Narrator
2006 The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang Dr. Artimus Snodgrass
Spawn: The Animation Captain Edwards TV series, voice only
2005 Alien Siege General Skyler
2004 - 2005 Arrested Development Himself TV series
2002 Eight Crazy Nights GNC Guy voice only
2000 Little Nicky Chubbs Peterson
1999 Shadow Warriors 2: Hunt for the Death Merchant Roy Brown
1997 Shadow Warriors: Assault on Devil's Island Roy Brown
1996 Happy Gilmore Chubbs Peterson
1993-1994 In the Heat of the Night Chief Hampton Forbes TV series
1992 Hurricane Smith Billy 'Hurricane' Smith
1991-1993 Street Justice Sgt. Adam Beaudreaux TV series
1990 Dangerous Passion Kyle
1989-1990 Tour Of Duty Col. Brewster TV series
1988 Action Jackson Sgt./Lt. Jericho "Action" Jackson
1987 Predator Major George Dillon
1986 Fortune Dane Fortune Dane TV series
1985 Rocky IV Apollo Creed
1982 Rocky III Apollo Creed
1981 Death Hunt Sundog/George Washington Lincoln Brown
1979 Rocky II Apollo Creed
1978 Force 10 from Navarone Sgt. Weaver
1978 The Bermuda Depths Eric
1977 Semi-Tough Dreamer Tatum
Close Encounters of the Third Kind MP
1976 Rocky Apollo Creed
The Four Deuces Taxi Cab Driver
1975 Bucktown Hambone
See, Pop? GlobaKett Industries employee #2 Uncredited
Friday Foster Yarbro

[edit] References

  1. ^ Carl Weathers Biography (1948-)
  2. ^ stated by Stallone on Jimmy Kimmel Live Dec. 21, 2006
  3. ^ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442688/ Internet Movie Database entry for Mercenaries (2005) video game

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Weathers, Carl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Actor; Former American Football Player
DATE OF BIRTH January 14, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH