RIP Carl Weathers (1948-2024)

Rocky wouldn’t have been at his best without the presence of Apollo Creed looming over Rocky, pushing him to do one more rep, to run one more mile, till he climbed the steps.

And years later Apollo came back when Rocky was at his lowest to share his skills to help him defeat Clubber Lang with punches and mind games.

And you served as the charmismatic and striking leads to pilots of TV series and straight to video movies with awesome names like: Fortune Dane, Action Jackson, and Hurricane Smith.

The sophistication and debonaire attitude you projected in the Old Spice commercials is an ideal I aim for. This same sophistication was evident before Rocky, when you played the dapper Hambone in Bucktown.

Your presence runs through the pop culture that informs my fascination and interest. The fabric of pop culture has lost a vital thread.