Gina Carano Pays Tribute to Carl Weathers, Recalls His Support Following Her Mandalorian Firing

Former The Mandalorian star Gina Carano shared a heartfelt tribute to Carl Weathers on her Instagram account following the announcement of the actor’s death. Carano starred alongside Weathers before her controversial exit from the series, and it was Weathers’ support during that time that she wanted to share with the world.

Carano played Cara Dune in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, but was subsequently dropped from the series following a series of controversial social media posts. While there were many conflicting opinions whether the actress should have been allowed to return to the series or not, it seems that one of those who offered her some very needed advice about her future was Weathers. In her post, Canaro said:

“I wasn’t in an emotional state where I could pick up the phone because of how upset I was, but we did end up speaking later on. He was gentle, and encouraging and didn’t want me to give up, he was letting me know that he wasn’t throwing me away, he was trying to keep my hope alive in what seemed like quite hopeless scenario, he showed me he cared. That is who he was.

“I bonded with him very closely on Mando season 1&2. Jon Favreau felt he would be a good mentor for me because we shared the athlete turned actor bond, so John had him direct my first episode in season 2 of Mando. I believe had we gotten to Rangers of the New Republic, Carl would’ve directed me in much more. Jon F. was right, we were a great fit.

“Carl was a mentor to me on set, he would put both his arms on my shoulders and look me directly in the eyes to calm my spirit,” she expounded on IG, “He had a wonderful perspective of telling a story that can only come through his experience and wisdom that he shared with me to help make me shine. I cherish those moments.”

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The entertainment world mourned the loss of Weathers on Friday, when it was revealed that he passed away on February 1. Known for many iconic roles, including that of Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise, and as Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, the news prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans, co-stars, and peers across Hollywood and sports.

Carano’s tribute was just one of those that shared personal stories about Weathers, and told a story of a star who was more than just the characters he played on-screen or the work he did behind the camera. He was a mentor and friend to almost everyone he worked with, and the many posts shared all echoed that sentiment. The tributes from Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger talked of Weathers’ legacy as a phenomenal talent whose contributions to film and television were matched only by his character and kindness off-screen.