Iconic actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are mourning the loss of their friend and fellow action star Carl Weathers, who passed away peacefully in his sleep at age 76.

Weathers was best known for originating the beloved role of Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise opposite Stallone.

Schwarzenegger called Weathers “a legend” and an extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. He added that they couldn’t have made Predator without him.

Weathers earned an Emmy nomination last year for his recent role in The Mandalorian, proving his enduring popularity after decades in Hollywood.

But he will forever be tied to the character that made him famous – and his on-screen rivalry-turned-friendship with Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone Mourn Carl Weathers
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2
According to People, an emotional Arnold Schwarzenegger said of his Predator co-star Carl Weathers,

“Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person.

We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it.”

In a tearful video tribute posted to social media, Sylvester Stallone called Weathers’ passing “incredibly sad” and said the late actor was “such an integral part of my life, my success, everything about it.”

Stallone credited Weathers with imbuing their iconic boxing rivalry with a larger-than-life quality on screen.

 “When he walked into that room, and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness, but I didn’t realize how great,” recalled Stallone of first meeting the former football player.

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa
Their fictional enmity famously turned to true friendship over the course of four Rocky films released between 1976 and 1985.

Weathers’ Apollo Creed ultimately trained Stallone’s underdog fighter before a tragic on-screen death. Off-screen, the actors clearly forged a real bond that lasted decades.

An emotional Stallone made clear that Weathers’ passing leaves both Hollywood and his own career that much dimmer.

What Other Films Did Carl Weathers Star In?
Carl Weathers – Arrested Development
Besides the Rocky series, Weathers flexed his action chops opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 blockbuster Predator as Dillon, the leader of an elite military rescue team battling an alien hunter.

Schwarzenegger memorialized Weathers as an “extraordinary athlete” from his football days who transitioned seamlessly into a “fantastic actor.”

The two muscle-bound actors played off each other remarkably well in Predator, showing Weathers’ ability to hold his own with the decade’s biggest action star.

Weathers also headlined 1988’s Action Jackson and played fan-favorite roles in comedies like Happy Gilmore and Arrested Development in later years.

His voice acting as Combat Carl in Toy Story 4 introduced the consummate Hollywood tough guy to a new generation of children.

Weathers proved his dramatic acting chops right through his final role as the complex bounty hunter Greef Karga on Disney+’s Star Wars smash series The Mandalorian.

But Apollo Creed remains his career-defining part – and clearly left an equally defining imprint on co-star Sylvester Stallone.