Carl Weathers, prolific actor famous for ‘Rocky’ and ‘The Mandalorian,’ dead at 76

(CNN) —& Carl Weathers, who came to fame as Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies and proceeded to appear in dozens of movies and TV shows from “Predator” to “The Mandalorian,” has died, according to his manager Matt Luber. Weathers was 76. The actor “died peacefully at home” on Thursday, Luber told CNN. No cause of death was available. “Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” his family said in a statement provided to CNN. “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 actually a former football player who had never boxed when he auditioned for the role in “Rocky,” proceeding to appear as Apollo Creed in the Oscar-winning film and the next three sequels. In a 2015 interview with the& Hollywood Reporter, Weathers recalled auditioning with Sylvester Stallone, who he was told was the film’s writer, not knowing that Stallone was also the star. Afterwards, feeling the reading hadn’t gone well, he recalled, “I just blurted out, ‘I could do a lot better if you got me a...