BEST OF TASTY CLIPS: Carl Weathers’ journey from ‘Rocky’ to the Walk of Fame

By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
It has been exactly two years since famed film actor, producer and director CARL WEATHERS died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 76. The New Orleans was enjoying a renaissance of sorts in his Emmy-nominated role as Greef Karga in the “Star Wars” spinoff series “The Mandalorian.”
He took the time in 2016 to speak with TASTY CLIPS about his rare return to television with the high concept USA series “Colony.” The premise of the show, co-starring Josh Holloway (“Lost”) and Sarah Wayne Callies (“The Walking Dead”), explored how a community reacts to an occupation by unknown entities enforced by sentries and a really huge wall.
“It’s prescient, isn’t it,” replied Weathers when asked about the similarities with the campaign promises of a certain presidential candidate. “I actually had the same thought. When it comes to fear mongers that kind of thing may be enticing but personally, I find it really to be an abhorrent idea and just another way of peddling fear.”
Said the former NFL Oakland Raider who counts “Predator,” “Happy Gilmore” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” among his credits, “Colony” is not just the idea of something that’s science fiction driven but also what happens to human beings under certain kinds of stresses whether from a fascist takeover from this planet or another.
The previous year saw the resurrection via flashbacks of his most iconic portrayal, that of boxing champ Apollo Creed from the first three “Rocky” movies. Weathers denied the rumor that a riff denied him the opportunity to film new scenes in “Creed.”
“I had nothing to do with the film and I was never asked,” he said. “The only statement I made about it was that I really like what [director Ryan] Coogler did. I think Michael B. [Jordan] was wonderful in it and I think it’s the best work that I’ve ever seen Sly [Stallone] do.”
Regarding the Oscars snubs that were the talk of the day, he admitted he was an Academy member and that he felt strongly about some of the performances that he saw that were at least worthy of nominations.
“I think Idris [Elba for “Beasts of No Nation”] for one, without a doubt,” offered Weathers. “Straight Outta Compton” was a brilliantly made film and not only that I really, really was shocked with Ice Cube’s son [O’Shea Jackson] who played him. All those young guys were good, but I thought he particularly stood out with such ease and a graceful edge.”
On the wish list for the strapping giant who was close to being Marvel’s first filmed Luke Cage in the 1980s, were biopics of Bass Reeves, the Black U.S. Marshal who yhe Lone Ranger was modeled after; and the great orator/abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
He also hoped to produce a film on Huey Newton, co-founder of the Black Panthers.
“We met four or five times, and it was just the two of us,” Weathers said. “The conversations would last for a few hours. I’d go away and think about it and write some notes down. Huey gave me several of the books that he’d written or co-written and pretty much basically told me his story. He was a fascinating, incredibly handsome and charismatic guy.”
On Aug. 29, 2024, Weathers was honored posthumously with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame [at 7076 Hollywood Blvd., near the Gateway to the Walk of Fame, off La Brea] with remarks from his sons Matthew and Jason Weathers, Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, former quarterback Jim Plunkett, and actors LeVar Burton and Bryce Dallas Howard.
“Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success,” Sylvester Stallone submitted in a posted video. “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.”

For more than 11 years, Bill Vaughan has kept Wave readers up to date with the latest news in entertainment. Now, we are collecting some of those past columns into what we call the Best of Tasty Clips. To contact Vaughan, visit his social media pages on Facebook and Instagram or @tasty_clips, on X @tastyclips, and on LinkedIn to William Vaughan.