 |
| Getty |
Sylvester Stallone is paying tribute to his longtime friend and “Rocky” co-star Carl Weathers, who died Thursday at age 76.
Speaking through a video posted to his Instagram Friday evening, Stallone recalled his longtime partnership with Weathers, through the “Rocky” series and their decades-long friendship. The star gave the message while standing in front of a painting depicting their characters, Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed, squaring off in the ring.
“Today is an incredibly sad day for me. I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success — everything about it, I give him incredible credit and kudos. Because when he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realize how great,” Stallone said. “I never could’ve accomplished what we did with ‘Rocky’ without him.”
“He was absolutely brilliant — his voice, his size, his presence, his athletic ability, but, most importantly, his heart, his soul. It’s a horrible loss,” Stallone said. “He was magic. I was so fortunate to be part of his life. Apollo, keep punching.”
