Sylvester Stallone heartbroken over Carl Weathers demise

Sylvester Stallone is paying rich tribute to Carl Weathers as he recalled his "greatness" after he died on Thursday at the age of 76

Taking to Instagram, the Rocky star addressed his tight-knit friendship with the fellow actor, saying, it was "an incredibly sad day for me", describing himself as "torn up".

He continued, "Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success... I give him incredible credit."

Adding, "When he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness but I didn't realise how great."

Noting, "I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him. He was absolutely brilliant. Rest in power and keep punching."

Apart from Sylvester, Arnold Schwarzenegger joined in a string of heartwarming responses.

"Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person."

"We couldn't have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn't have had such a wonderful time making it."

On Thursday, Carl's family released a statement that the actor had died "peacefully in his sleep".