“Hired! He Had Everything”
Sylvester Stallone, who starred alongside Carl Weathers in Rocky, talked about Weathers’ audition for the movie on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Stallone said it was surprising and sad that Weathers passed away at 76 from heart disease on Feb. 1.
Stallone remembered how Weathers got the role of Apollo Creed. He said Weathers, who used to play for the Oakland Raiders, auditioned in the mid-1970s. Stallone thought Weathers was perfect for the part because he had all the qualities needed, like athleticism and talent.
During the audition, Stallone noticed Weathers was in a bad mood, which was actually a good thing for the role of Rocky’s boxing rival. When Weathers took his shirt off, Stallone felt intimidated because Weathers looked so fit. But he knew right then that Weathers was the one for the role.
Stallone said he couldn’t have made Rocky without Weathers. He even shared old footage of them rehearsing a fight scene.
Weathers also talked about the audition in 2015. He said he wasn’t happy with how the scene went and accidentally insulted Stallone, calling him not a real actor. But surprisingly, that mistake helped him get the role.
