Stephan James honors Carl Weathers at ‘I Play Rocky’ premiere

Actor Stephan James paid tribute to the late Carl Weathers at the AFI Fest screening of ‘I Play Rocky’. James wore a bespoke three-piece white suit, recreated by Toronto-based tailors King & Bay, which mirrored the outfit Weathers wore to the premiere of ‘Rocky II’ in Philadelphia.

James, who portrays Weathers in Peter Farrelly’s film, noted that the choice was intended to honor Weathers’s public life as a performer rather than just his iconic screen character, Apollo Creed. The film, which explores the production history of the ‘Rocky’ franchise and Sylvester Stallone’s journey to playing the lead, has received strong reviews and sparked Oscar discussions.

Other cast members in attendance included Anthony Ippolito, who portrays Stallone, and AnnaSophia Robb. The film is scheduled for release in select theaters on November 6.