In addition to Sylvester Stallone as the star of Rocky, the first part of the iconic boxing film series was also influenced by his competitors. Carl Weathers played Rocky’s great opponent Apollo Creed, who even triumphs over the main character in the ring in the finale.
A few years ago, Weathers, who died on February 1st, spoke about how he got the role in the first Rocky part. It was mainly due to a sentence with which the action star put Stallone down quite a bit. That was from the snotty kind thrilled again.
Carl Weathers did not initially recognize Sylvester Stallone as an actor
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter for the release of the Rocky spin-off Creed – Rocky’s Legacy in 2015, Weathers spoke about his casting for the first part of the boxing film series. There were no other actors present at the audition, so Weathers was told he would read his lines with the film’s screenwriter. This was Stallone.
The joint audition wasn’t exactly ideal for Weathers:
And we read through the scene and at the end I didn’t feel like it really went over well and they were quiet and there was this moment of awkwardness that I certainly felt. So I just blurted out, ‘I could do a lot better if I had a real actor to work with.” So I just insulted the star of the film without really knowing it and without any intention of doing it.
Weathers then said that exactly this snotty, cheeky manner would fit Apollo Creed perfectly as a character. The star’s accidental insult ultimately landed him his most legendary role.
MGM
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed in Rocky
After Rocky 1, Carl Weathers also played Apollo Creed in the sequels Rocky II, Rocky III – The Eye of the Tiger and Rocky IV – The Fight of the Century.
Podcast: The 5 most exciting streaming films in February on Netflix, Amazon and Co.
You don’t know what to stream on Netflix or Amazon tonight? In the monthly overview we present you the most promising new films in February.
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Among the 5 selected streaming films you will find a surprising sci-fi sequel on Netflix, a romantic comedy on Amazon and a promising animated film with a creative idea.