Carl Weathers' Cause of Death Revealed a Week After “Rocky” Actor Dies at 76: Report

The actor's family announced that he had died at age 76 earlier this month

Carl Weathers' cause of death has been revealed.

The actor, whose family announced his death at 76 earlier this month, died of "atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” according to a death certificate obtained by The Blast.

Weathers’ death certificate stated that the actor was inside his home in Venice, California, when he died at 12:18 a.m. local time, per the outlet.

According to The Blast, the document stated that investigators declared Weathers’ manner of death as “natural" and noted that he had suffered from heart disease for years. It also listed that the actor's son, Matthew Weathers, was the individual who informed authorities of Weathers' death.

The Blast reported that Weathers' family will take home his ashes following his cremation.

A representative for Weathers, as well as the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Related: Mariska Hargitay, Snoop Dogg, Octavia Spencer and More Pay Tribute to Carl Weathers After His Death at 76

Weathers' family announced his death in a statement, noting that the late Rocky and Predator actor "died peacefully in his sleep" the preceding day, per Deadline and Variety.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers," the family said in its statement.

"Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend," the statement added.

Weathers played professional football in the NFL in the early 1970s, before he embarked on an acting career that lasted more than forty years. He notably starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky franchise as boxer Apollo Creed, starting with the 1976 original.

The actor also costarred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987's Predator and, most recently, he played the character Greef Karga in the Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, which earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2021.

Weathers also took on a voice role in Toy Story 4 and had a recurring role on all three of Dick Wolf's NBC Chicago series in recent years.

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Stallone, 77, was among a number of celebrities to pay tribute to Weathers following the news of his death.

“We lost a legend yesterday," the actor and filmmaker wrote on Instagram, alongside an emotional tribute video. “My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching."

Related: How Carl Weathers Got His Rocky Role by Insulting Sylvester Stallone's Acting During the Audition

The actor was also known for his role as Chubbs in Adam Sandler's 1996's golf comedy Happy Gilmore, as well as for playing a fictionalized version of himself on Arrested Development.

"A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete," Sandler, 57, wrote in his own tribute to Weathers on Instagram. "So much fun to be around always."

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