'Rocky' actor Tony Burton dies at 78

Actor Tony Burton, who played Tony "Duke" Vans in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky series, died on Friday. Burton was 78 and had been ill for the past one year.

Burton's "Duke" was trainer to the character Apollo Creed played by Carl Weathers. Burton is one of the few actors in the Rocky series to appear in all six films, one of the others being Sylvester Stallone.

In a scene from the latest installment in the series, Creed, Burton's photo is seen on the wall.

Burton was native of Flint, Michigan but had been living in California for the last 30 years. While he played trainer on screen, Burton had also boxed professionally and won two Flint Golden Gloves light heavyweight titles in 1955 and 1957, according to mlive.com.

Carl Weathers condoled the actor's death on Twitter.

@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

Tony Burton in a scene from Rocky IV: