Sylvester Stallone reveals Carl Weathers' 'Rocky' audition story

Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone remembered his Rocky co-star Carl Weathers, who reportedly died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in his sleep at the age of 76 on February 1.

Sylvester, aged 77, detailed Carl’s audition for Rocky to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, as per a media source 

He revealed how the late actor landed the role of Apollo Creed in the popular film franchise. The Rambo star told Jimmy that his death was “shocking” and described him as “magnificent” before recalling when Carl, still playing for the Oakland Raiders, auditioned in the mid-1970s.

Also Read: ‘Rocky’, ‘Predator’ star Carl Weathers dies aged 76

“Rocky was a compilation of really great actors, almost born to play those parts,” Sylvester said. “I couldn’t fill that spot (for Apollo Creed) because it required incredible athleticism, brains, spirit, talent, speed. (Weathers) had it all. I mean, he had it all”.

As per the source, Stallone remembered Carl being in a “bad mood” when he arrived at the audition, which he asserted was good since Weathers would be playing opposite Stallone as Rocky Balboa’s boxing rival.

Then, Carl took his shirt off, to which Sylvester reacted with, “Oh, my God, am I trouble, because I kind of looked like Pooh Bear at the time, I did, and he looked like Adonis. He banged about three shots off of my forehead and I went, ‘Hired’”.

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“I loved him. I couldn’t have done it without him”, Sylvester added, before he shared behind-the-scenes footage of the pair rehearsing the final fight scene in 1976’s Rocky.