Tony Burton who appeared as the trainer Tony “Duke” Evers in six Rocky films has passed away at the age of 78.
Burton’s sister, Lorett Kelly, has said that Burton was never officially diagnosed but had been suffering from poor health for over a year. It was also reported that Burton was too ill to see Creed, the recent spin off of Rocky that featured Michael B. Jordan as the lead role.
Carl Weathers who co-starred alongside Burton took to twitter to express his condolences tweeting, “Sad news. RIP Tony Burton. His intensity and talent helped make the Rocky movies successful.”
@E_Woodyard @TheSlyStallone Sad news. RIP Tony Burton. His intensity and talent helped make the Rocky movies successful. #BePeace
— Carl Weathers (@TheCarlWeathers) February 26, 2016
Burton was a Flint, Michigan native who was a professional boxer and football player before becoming an actor. Aside from the Rocky films he also made appearances in The Shining, Stir Crazy, NYPD Blue, The A-Team, and Twin Peaks.
He was also seen briefly in Creed in a flashback that used old stock footage of a previous Rocky film.
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