Carl Weathers Passes Away; ‘The Mandalorian’ Actor and Director Was 76
We regret to inform our readers that Carl Weathers has passed away at the age of 76. The actor played Greef Karga on the first three seasons of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and directed several episodes.
Deadline broke the news that Carl Weathers died on Tuesday earlier this week at the age of 76. His family issued the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers. 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.”
The cause of death has not been stated, but it is comforting that he was at peace. In addition, the official Star Wars website reported on his passing, with The Mandalorian series creator and showrunner Jon Favreau issuing the following statement:
“I am heartbroken by this devastating loss. He was a hero from my childhood who I was lucky enough to meet and then had the amazing good fortune to work with. He had the energy and curiosity of a young man paired with the wisdom that his rich life and career afforded him. My heart goes out to his family and countless admirers.”
Carl Weathers portrayed Greef Karga, a Bounty Hunters’ Guild Master who eventually redeemed himself by becoming a High Magistrate and making what was once a backwater town on the planet Nevarro into a prosperous city. His character appeared in nine episodes of The Mandalorian – “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian”, “Chapter 3: The Sin”, “Chapter 7: The Reckoning”, “Chapter 8: Redemption”, “Chapter 12: The Siege”, “Chapter 17: The Apostate”, “Chapter 21: The Pirate”, “Chapter 23: The Spies”, and “Chapter 24: The Return”, with a cameo in “Chapter 6: The Prisoner” also having a cut cameo for “Chapter 14: The Tragedy” in a deleted scene where he met Boba Fett and Fennec Shand. Weathers also got into the realm of directing by getting behind the camera for “Chapter 12: The Siege” and later “Chapter 20: The Foundling”.
Outside of the realm of Star Wars, Carl Weathers had a storied career across film and television, beginning with a small parts in Magnum Force and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He was perhaps most well-known for his role in the Rocky film series as Apollo Creed, appearing as a major character in the first four films of the series, and serving as the father of the lead character of the Michael B. Jordan-led Creed spin-off series, though he did not act in any of them aside from appearing in archive footage. Other memorable film appearances include Predator, Action Jackson, and Happy Gilmore.
On television, he had one-off appearances on shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, Kung Fu, Starsky & Hutch, Barnaby Jones, ER, and Psych. He had main roles in the shows Fortune Dane, Street Justice, In the Heat of the Night, and Chicago Justice, recurring roles in The Shield and Chicago P.D., recurring voice roles on Regular Show and Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and a recurring role as himself on Arrested Development. Lastly, he provided the voice of the Toy Story character Combat Carl, who first appeared in the television movie Toy Story of Terror! before returning in the film Toy Story 4.
His passing was mourned by Katy O’Brian, who portrayed Elia Kane in the second and third seasons of The Mandalorian:
Nothing could have prepared me for this one. Carl was a champion, not only in has craft, but a champion of others. Kind, welcoming, funny, brilliant, earnest, and damn gorgeous inside and out. Honored to have known him in this life. #BePeace https://t.co/ceA3leAlYe
— Katy O’Brian (@thekatyo) February 2, 2024
Director Robert Rodriguez has also posted a message on social media:
Will miss the great Carl Weathers who I was very fortunate to work with on several occasions.
A very kind and generous person. His performances were always electrifying and he was also a terrific director of both stage and screen. pic.twitter.com/acvLd7yxXu— Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) February 2, 2024
Lead actor Pedro Pascal has also commented on his co-star’s passing:
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The Book of Boba Fett actor Danny Trejo also left a tribute:
I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Carl Weathers, you were a beautiful soul. May you rest in peace. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/QOmDXP268y
— Danny Trejo (@officialDannyT) February 2, 2024
Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill made a post honoring several people who passed away recently, including Carl Weathers:
It's been really hard losing so many great Americans recently, but deeply grateful we had them as long as we did. 💔💔💔#RIP_ChitaRivera #RIP_JoeMadison #RIP_CarlWeathers
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) February 2, 2024
Ahmed Best, who portrayed Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars and depicted Kelleran Beq in the second and final episode of The Mandalorian that Carl Weathers directed, had touching words to describe his late friend:
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ILM’s Ian Milham posted the following on Twitter:
I turned around, the first drips already on my hands. It was Apollo Creed himself!
"Ice cream SAAAANDWICH!" he bellowed.
He winked his approval at me. I floated the rest of the day.
Had a lot more time with Carl on the show, but nothing will top that first moment. #RIP
— Ian Milham (@Monkey_Pants) February 2, 2024
Dr. Pershing himself, Omid Abtahi, said:
https://twitter.com/AbtahiOmid/status/1753534269576937502?t=4kbP6Xz4yk4LZE_TesRW8A&s=19
Brendan Wayne, stunt double for Mando himself, posted on Instagram the following heartful message:
Giancarlo Esposito also posted on Twitter:
I will sorely miss my dear friend & brother Carl Weathers. You are truly one of the most wonderful human beings I have had the honor & pleasure of spending time with! I am grateful for your influence & support of all things good in my life. This is how I will always remember you. pic.twitter.com/CCH9yhxnU7
— Giancarlo Esposito (@quiethandfilms) February 2, 2024
Katee Sackhoff had her own message for Carl Weathers too:
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Paul Sun-Hyung Lee also shared his memories of working and looking up to Weathers:
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Fellow director Rick Ramuyiwa added his thoughts:
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Carl Weathers was a memorable part of any film or show that he took part in, and he will be sorely missed.
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
