Hollywood — Stephan James Recreates Carl Weathers’ Iconic White Suit to Honor the Late Actor at ‘I Play Rocky’ Screening
Stephan James honored the memory of Carl Weathers with a special red carpet appearance on Saturday, wearing a white suit at the AFI Fest screening of his latest film, I Play Rocky.
James portrays the late actor in Peter Farrelly’s movie, which explores the production of Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 film Rocky.
Speaking on the red carpet at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, James explained that his outfit was a custom creation inspired by a look Weathers previously wore.
“This is a three-piece custom King & Bay bespoke suit,” James said. “My friends in Toronto at King & Bay remade this suit for me because Carl Weathers wore the exact same suit to the ‘Rocky II’ premiere in Philadelphia. It was a three-piece white suit, and I had them remake it so I can literally walk in his shoes yet again.”
James’ publicist, Samantha Hill, came up with the idea for the tribute. He completed the look with a rose brooch, adding his own interpretation of an accessory Weathers had worn.
“Carl had an actual rose, so this is my little twist on it,” James explained. “I’m doing something a little more timeless with a brooch.”
Weathers portrayed Apollo Creed, the boxer who faced Rocky Balboa in the first two Rocky films before becoming his trainer in the third installment. The character died in Rocky IV during a fight against Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. Weathers died in 2024.
James also revealed that he spoke with Michael B. Jordan after securing the role of Weathers. Jordan portrayed Apollo Creed’s son in the three Creed films.
“‘Hey, I’m gonna be your daddy, Mike. I’m gonna be your daddy,’” James recalled telling Jordan. “So yeah, we had to talk.”
I Play Rocky features Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone. Since debuting in early September at the Toronto International Film Festival, the movie has received strong critical reviews and generated Oscar-season attention.
The Amazon MGM production is scheduled to open in limited theaters on Nov. 6 before expanding to a wider release on Nov. 20.
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