Carl Weathers, most famously known for his roles in Rocky, Predator and the Star Wars universe, has died aged 76.
The star, who was most known for his role as Apollo Creed, rival to Sylvester Stallone's Rocky, "died peacefully in his sleep" on Thursday, his family announced in a statement.
"Carl was 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.
Weathers appeared in more than 75 films and television shows during his illustrious career, which spanned six decades.
Weathers was best known for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky series
GettyHe most recently starred in nine episodes of The Mandalorian, a Star Wars Universe show on Disney+.
Weathers also recently voiced the character of Combat Carl in the Oscar-nominated Toy Story 4.
However, his best-known role was also his breakout role, in 1976's Rocky.
He played Apollo Creed, the rival of the boxer Rocky Balboa. The film spawned a franchise of six films, of which Weathers starred in the first four.
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He starred in the first four Rocky films
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Footage of Weathers was also used in the Creed films, a spin-off of the main series. Led by Michael B Jordan, who plays Creed's son Adonis, the series has three movies so far.
Other iconic roles for Weathers include Colonel Al Dillon in Predator and Chubbs in Happy Gilmore.
Happy Gilmore co-star Adam Sandler posted four photos of the Weathers, with the caption: "A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete. So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!! Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him. Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend"
In the movie, he play's Happy Gilmore's golf coach Chubbs Peterson, a former pro-golfer who was forced to retire after an alligator bit off his hand.
Empire Magazine editor, Nick de Semlyn, said: "RIP Carl Weathers, a titan. John McTiernan cast him in Predator so that Arnold could study his acting and up his game. An iconic action star, of course, but also a huge flair for comedy - I often quote his lines from Arrested Development."
He is survived by sons Jason and Matthew
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He played professional football in the 1960s for the NFL before graduating from San Francisco State University in 1974, before his career-defining role as Apollo Creed just two years later.
Speaking about his iconic character, he said: "It puts you on the map and makes your career, so to speak. But that's a one-off, so you've got to follow it up with something.
"Fortunately those movies kept coming, and Apollo Creed became more and more in people's consciousness and welcome in their lives, and it was just the right guy at the right time," he told The Daily Beast in 2017.
Weathers was married and divorced three times, to Mary Ann from 1973-1983, Rhona Unsell from 1984-2006 and Jennifer Peterson from 2007-2009.
He is survived by sons Jason and Matthew who he shared with ex-wife Mary-Ann Castle and his grandchildren.
