Carl Weathers died from complications of heart disease, which he’d reportedly been battling for years, according to details shared from the late actor’s death certificate.
The 76-year-old’s official cause of death was listed as “atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” which caused him to die peacefully in his sleep in the early morning of Feb. 1, per the certificate obtained by The Blast.
Weathers died at his home in Venice, California, at 12:18 a.m. local time, with investigators listing his manner of death as “natural.”
In a statement the day after his passing, Weathers’ manager described him as “an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life.”
“Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend,” the statement added.
The actor became best known for portraying Apollo Creed in four “Rocky” films from 1976 to 1985. He also played a pivotal role in 1987’s “Predator” alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore” as Chubbs Peterson, a former golf star who lost his hand in an alligator attack.
But his credits include more than 80 films and TV shows across five decades. His resume boasts recurring roles in series such as “Street Justice,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Brothers,” “Arrested Development,” NBC’s “Chicago” franchise, and most recently, as Greef Karga in “The Mandalorian,” for which he earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama.
Weathers was also building a directing career in his later years, heading two episodes of “The Mandalorian” as well as episodes of “Law & Order” and “Chicago Med.”
Even in his death, he’s still appearing on TV. Weathers is set to be featured in a FanDuel Super Bowl commercial alongside Rob Gronkowski on Sunday.
Following the news of Weathers’ death, “Rocky” star Sylvester Stallone paid tribute to his former co-star.
“We lost a legend yesterday,” he captioned an Instagram video on Feb. 2, remembering his late friend.
“My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers,” he added. “Rest in power and keeping punching.”
Weathers is survived by his ex-wife, Mary Ann, and their two sons, including Matthew Weathers, who had been the first to inform authorities of his father’s death.
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