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Adam Sandler paid a loving tribute to his Happy Gilmore costar Carl Weathers, who passed on Thursday.
Hollywood was stunned to learn that Weathers, known for playing Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and recently as Greef Karga in Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian died in his home in Los Angeles on February 1, 2024.
His family did not disclose the cause of death but stated that he died "peacefully in his sleep." He was 76.
Weathers and Sandler worked together in the 1996 sports comedy film Happy Gilmore in which Weathers played Derick "Chubbs" Peterson, a retired pro-golfer who coaches the titular character, played by Sandler, to win the Tour Championship.
Following news of Weathers' passing, Sandler took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:
“A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete."
"So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell. Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!!"
"Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him."
Sandler concluded by sending love to Weathers' family and added:
"Carl will always be known as a true legend.”
The post was accompanied by four images of the late actor, two of which were of them together from Happy Gilmore.
The post was followed by additional images, including this still from the movie.
A second post featured two photos from when Weathers played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders as a linebacker from 1970-1971.
Weathers played a total of eight regular games for the Raiders. He later signed with the BC Lions of the CFL and played 13 games before retiring from football to seriously pursue acting in 1974.
Fans joined Sandler in paying their respects to the late actor.
Jesse Ventura, who worked with Weathers in the 1987 action filmPredator, wrote:
“We lost an icon. Carl Weathers was a phenomenal talent, a true professional, and a dear friend."
"All my sympathies and love to his family."
"I loved working with him on Predator and then celebrating that film with him at various conventions in the ensuing years. Thank you, Carl.”
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also worked with Weathers in Predator, said that Weathers "will always be a legend."
He went on to describe Weathers as "An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person" and added:
"We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it."
Other celebrities, including SNL comedians Leslie Jones and Jon Lovitz and NBA legend Magic Johnson, mourned the loss of a friend by paying him poignant tributes.
Weathers is survived by his ex-wife, Mary Ann, and their two sons.