Carl Weathers and Don Murray

Both Carl Weathers and Don Murray passed away in the past few days. To-day, Risshun, the first day of spring in Japan's old calendar, I woke up to find a surprise coating of snow outside, on top of all the cars and rooftops and on the hills and trees. I didn't see this much snow all winter long. It's beginning to look a lot like omens.

Carl Weathers' biggest roles are of course in the Rocky movies and in the original Predator. I haven't seen a Rocky movie in decades but I watched Predator pretty recently and the man gives a solid performance. He and Schwarzenegger pair well together as two muscle bound hardasses, most memorably shown in the meme-ified shot of their two burly arms locked in a friendly grip.

In more recent years, Weathers has been one of the best aspects of Disney's Star Wars projects, acting in and directing episodes of The Mandalorian.

Don Murray starred in a number of prominent films, including Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe and the Otto Preminger political intrigue Advise and Consent. But I'll always remember him best for his time on Twin Peaks as Bushnell Mullins.

I saw him in person at San Diego Comic Con. He attended a screening of season three, episode eleven with several other cast members. They were right there with us in the audience. He never seemed uptight, just genuinely happy to be there out promoting this show among people who love the series. He was well cast as the fine man Cooper said he was.