Earlier this month, Carl Weathers died as a result of cardiovascular disease. One of the last projects Weathers acted in was a commercial for FanDuel, which aired for the first time during Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII. At the end of the commercial, FanDuel added a tribute to the late actor to memorialize the star.
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FanDuel revealed earlier in the week they intended to alter their Super Bowl ad after news of Weathers’ passing first surfaced on February 1st.
FanDuel marketing chief Andrew Sneyd told Variety, “We need to change what we are doing in the Bowl. The live event itself carries forward and as is. Rob will kick the field goal and he will be even more inspired to make it. He really enjoyed meeting Carl and found him to be such an optimistic and energetic person.”
“We had built a master. One is an edit if he makes the kick and we have an edit if he misses. That content we had in those masters wouldn’t be appropriate for us to do any more,” Sneyd added. “Since the news of Carl’s passing came, we have been working with editors to help us get back to something that does make sense…. We have been viewing edits through tears. We really enjoyed the short time we had to work with him. He’s a wonderful man and he genuinely is an inspiration and had such a positive outlook on the world. We want to make sure we try to meet this moment with the respect it deserves.”
Weathers’ family first broke news of the actor’s death, saying he passed peacefully in his sleep. His family delivered that statement that day, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,” Weathers’ family said in a 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.”
