Following the tragic death of Carl Weathers, tributes to the late legend have been pouring in from his co-stars.
The actor is said to have "died peacefully in his sleep," as shared by his family. Weathers was 76, and over the course of his impressive career, starred in the likes of the Rocky franchise, Predator, and recently The Mandalorian.
"We lost a legend yesterday," Sylvester Stallone wrote on Instagram. "My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching." The caption accompanied a video in which Stallone spoke about his grief and memories of Weathers. "He was magic, and I was so fortunate to be part of his life," Stallone said. "So, Apollo, keep punching."
"I was saddened to hear the news this morning," wrote another of Weathers's Rocky co-stars, Dolph Lundgren. "Along with the world, I will miss Carl. He was a great actor, a terrific athlete and a good friend. I cherish many special memories of Carl, both professionally and personally. Like Apollo Creed, he had that special charm that always brought a smile to your face."
Michael B. Jordan, who plays the son of Apollo in the Creed movies, shared on his Instagram stories: "We lost a Legend"
"Carl Weathers will always be a legend," shared Weathers's Predator co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. "An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn't have had such a wonderful time making it."
Pedro Pascal, who starred in The Mandalorian opposite Weathers, wrote on Instagram: "Words fail"
"I will sorely miss my dear friend & brother Carl Weathers," said another of the actor's Mandalorian co-stars, Giancarlo Esposito, also sharing a picture of him and Weathers. "You are truly one of the most wonderful human beings I have had the honor & pleasure of spending time with! I am grateful for your influence & support of all things good in my life. This is how I will always remember you."
Ahmed Best, who appeared in The Mandalorian season 3 as the Jedi Kelleran Beq in an episode directed by Weathers, shared an emotional post to Instagram, too. "I'm struggling with this one today. This is hard. Carl has always been a hero of mine since I was a child. I never thought I would ever be directed by him let alone have the honor to call him a friend," he wrote on a post accompanying a behind the scenes picture of him and Weathers.
"As an artist he was so generous with his wisdom and respect for the art of acting," the caption continues. "He gave me golden nuggets that I will treasure and use for the rest of my life. As a director he was the one who gave me the space, grace, time, and guidance to come to life. He saw how nervous I was to be back in #starwars and gave me the strength and confidence to perform. Every conversation and text message after was bathed in love, mentorship and support. Love you my brother #carlweathers. I will miss you. We will miss you. Rest in Power."
Our thoughts are with Weathers's family and friends at this time.
