Just like former Raiders teammate Ken Stabler, Weathers will receive his honor posthumously.
Last February the world lost the great Carl Weathers at the age of 76. The man who started his adult life in professional football with the Oakland Raiders, would go on to become a legend of film and television. And now, like several Raiders greats in recent years, he is going to be posthumously honored and immortalized.
Weathers is to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Exclusive to @variety | The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will posthumously honor Carl Weathers with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 29 | Via @Hwdwalkoffame @Stargirl_stuff pic.twitter.com/9andt0r1AP
Few actors in their careers came to be more known for such iconic characters as Weathers played. Characters such as Apollo Creed from the “Rocky” films, Chubbs in “Happy Gilmore”, Dillon in “Predator”, and Jericho Jackson aka “Action Jackson”.
You wish he could have seen this moment while he was alive. Much like his fellow Raiders Ken Stabler and Cliff Branch who both had passed on before being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Weathers’s star will be unveiled in a ceremony on August 29.
Carl Weathers, known for roles such as Apollo Creed in “Rocky,” Chubbs Peterson in “Happy Gilmore” and Greef Karga in “The Mandalorian,” has died at the age of 76.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” his family said in a statement. “He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, Feb. 1st, 2024. … 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.”
Chubbs is one of the best characters from a golf movie off all time, so it’s no surprise to see a huge reaction from golf Twitter.
Film star and Raiders legend Carl Weathers dies at 76
Carl Weathers, who played briefly for the Oakland Raiders and went on to film stardom, has died at the age of 76. The cause of death is not yet known.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” his family said in a statement. “He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. … 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.”
Weathers was perhaps most well known as Apollo Creed in the first four “Rocky” films. He also starred in films such as “Action Jackson,” “Predator,” “Happy Gilmore,” and of course, Combat Carl in “Toy Story 4.” He most recently appeared in several episodes of the Disney series “The Mandalorian.”
But before his superstardom as a film actor, Weathers was a Raider. He was signed by Oakland out of San Diego State in 1970. He spent two seasons with the Raiders in 1970 and 1971, playing primarily on special teams. He was released one game into the 1971 season.
After a stint in the Canadian Football League, he would do several bit parts in TV shows before getting his breakout role in “Rocky” in 1976.
The general answer for some would be probably, with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens rocket launching the galaxy back for five movies (so far), plenty of television shows (so far) and little doodads like that Baby Yoda/Studio Ghibli collab.
The over-saturation that has plagued the Marvel Cinematic Universe of late seems to be creeping itself into the Skywalker saga, with last year’s The Book of Boba Fett basically an honorary season of The Mandalorian that some folks seemed to accidentally skip over.
If you’re lost, all hell broke loose for Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin (er, the Mandalorian) when he took his helmet off to say goodbye to Baby Yoda (…Grogu) at the end of The Mandalorian‘s second season.
The challenge for The Mandalorian going forward might also be its appeal.
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We’re going to get a loosely threaded grand narrative, as Djarin has to go find a magic bath on his ransacked home planet to get back in good graces with his people. However, there’s now also space pirates chasing after him for something that happens in season three’s first episode. Taika Waititi’s IG-11 robot might not be dead. Little Babu Friks and Salacious B. Crumbs show up. Star Wars Carl Weathers is still doing Star Wars Carl Weathers things. Apparently Star Wars has Lake Placid-sized crocodile turtles now, too.
The unnecessary business of plot threads’ past and the delightful dorkiness of serialized Star Wars storytelling will come to blows with this latest Mandalorian season, and which side of this approach wins out will be critical to whatever future these live-action television shows have.
Disney will undoubtedly want the Lucasfilm fanfare back in theaters sooner than later, and with so many television shows in development, it begs the question: will people ever tire of watching this at home?
The easiest remedy is letting The Mandalorian be itself and keep grander narratives on the back burner, which thankfully happens in spurts during the third season’s first go-around.
Disney/Lucasfilm
If you’ve watched this latest episode, then you know that Mando and Baby Yoda have the general goal this season to get to the remnants of Mandalore and save Mando’s helmet-removing butt by washing him in their holy pools. This, apparently, is the way for redemption. It’s all a little extra, but then again, if the helmet removal is that big of a deal, then so be it.
The new wrinkle looks to be space pirates, led by the plant-based pirate king Gorian Shard. Shard looks like if someone crossed Boss Nass from The Phantom Menace with Old Gregg from The Mighty Boosh. Shard is irate with Mando now that he’s killed a bunch of his space pirates in both a confrontation on Nevarro City (where Weathers’ Greef Karga now runs the show) and in a space battle by Shard’s big pirate ship.
So keep a tab on the most evil pirate fern in the galaxy for later in the season.
Also, we get to meet the disembodied remains of IG-11, who died in The Mandalorian‘s first season. The robot’s resurrection is now a side quest for Djarin and Grogu as they try to find all the little Babu Friks in Nevarro City some sort of memory processor thingamajig so that the little aliens can fix him to help Mando with the main mission on Mandalore (say that five times fast). Note: apparently, these little Babu Friks (Anzellans) aren’t the Babu Frik from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As you were.
Disney/Lucasfilm
As the episode closes, we also get a side detour to where Bo-Katan is hanging out at her big Mandalorian castle. If you’ll recall from the show’s second season, Bo-Katan was the leader of a rogue group of Mandalorians that Djarin knew from back in the day. They allow themselves to take the helmet off, which seems very logical and Djarin should’ve just teamed up with them so he could take his helmet off, too, but whatever.
In season three’s first 30 minutes, we cover a lot of ground. Those absolutely befuddled as to what’s going on will have to take a few hops back on the Star Wars game board to The Book of Boba Fett to update yourself on what’s going on. For those “in the know,” you know what you came for.
While the dialogue remains a bit stilted and the grander stakes a bit low on tread, watching Baby Yoda hug a Babu Frik and seeing Djarin zip around in his space cruiser and blast space pirates into asteroids to Ludwig Göransson’s techno-thumping score remain the kind of joys that make this show worth coming back to.
At least one episode in, The Mandalorian is doing everything it used to do. It’s become the safest bet for Lucasfilm in the Disney era, but one wonders if safety will keep this show from ever really taking some risks. If The Mandalorian is tasty Star Wars comfort food, then that’s what it should be. It just begs the question of when folks will get full on frog eggs and want more franchise divergence like Star Wars: The Last Jedi or Andor.
For now, fun adventures with Djarin and Baby Yoda will certainly scratch the itch. The more spirited and disconnected these episodes are, the better.
With Tom Brady making his biggest leap to the big screen with 80 for Brady, the history of athletes who turn to acting is getting another evaluation.
While some athletes don’t exactly make the leap to movies and television with much success, there have been some who have transcended their sport to really make a name for themselves in the acting world.
Some athletes have turned in amazing performances in classic films and T.V. shows, while others have really impressed by just playing a heightened version of themselves.
While a phenomenal actor like Kurt Russell played baseball for some time, we include actors below who got their start on a sports field before making jump to acting. Russell was a child star for Disney before making his debut on the baseball diamond.
Let’s break down 10 of the most successful athletes who have flipped over their talents into acting. (Sorry, Patriots faithful, TB12 didn’t make the cut.)
