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James Avery, who played Will Smith’s pompous but well-meaning uncle on the popular 1990s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” died on Tuesday in Glendale, Calif. He was 68.
The cause was complications of heart surgery, said his mother, Florence J. Avery.
Mr. Avery played Philip Banks, a wealthy lawyer (later a judge) who becomes a surrogate fatherto his street-smart nephew, played by Mr. Smith, on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” seen on NBC from 1990 to 1996.
Reviewing the show in The New York Times early in its first season, John J. O’Connor said Mr. Smith — at the time a popular rapper just beginning his acting career — was “frequently overshadowed by the rest of the cast, particularly James Avery as the father and Karyn Parsons as the older daughter, Hilary.”
A classically trained actor with an imposing physical presence and a resonant voice, Mr. Avery was born on Nov. 27, 1945, in Pughsville, Va., near what is now Suffolk, and grew up in Atlantic City. In the late 1960s, he served in the Navy.
In addition to “The Fresh Prince,” his numerous television credits include “L.A. Law,” “The Closer” and “That ’70s Show.” Among the movies in which he appeared were “Fletch” and “8 Million Ways to Die.”
He was a busy voice artist in animated films and television shows as well. He was the voice of Shredder, the title characters’ nemesis, on the 1987-96 cartoon series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
In addition to his mother, Mr. Avery’s survivors include his wife, Barbara.
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James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip Banks, Will Smith's character's uncle, in the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This character was ranked #34 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time." He also provided the voice of Shredder in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series, as well as War Machine in the animated series Iron Man and Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. He also played Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.
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James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip Banks, Will Smith's character's uncle, in the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This character was ranked #34 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time." He also provided the voice of Shredder in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series, as well as War Machine in the animated series Iron Man and Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. He also played Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.
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[hide]Life and career[edit]
Avery was born in 1945[1] in Pughsville, Hampton Roads, Virginia[2] and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[3] He served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1968–1969, after graduating high school. Later on, he moved to San Diego, California where he began to write poetry and TV scripts.[4]
In addition to his fame in sitcoms, he did voice acting for many animated series, most notably the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (as the voice of The Shredder) and James Rhodes in the 1990s Iron Man series.[citation needed]
Personal life[edit]
He married Barbara in 1988.[5] He had no biological children of his own, but was a stepfather to his wife's son, Kevin Waters. As well as his wife and stepson, he is survived by his mother Florence Avery.[6]
Death[edit]
On December 31, 2013, Avery died at the age of 68 from complications following open heart surgery in a Los Angeles suburb hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center.[4][7][8]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Man Dancing | Uncredited role |
| 1980 | The Stunt Man | Uncredited role | |
| 1985 | Fletch | Detective #2 | |
| 1985 | Appointment With Fear | Connors | |
| 1986 | Fist of the North Star | Fang | Voice Role |
| 1986 | The Eleventh Commandment | Larry | |
| 1986 | 8 Million Ways to Die | Deputy D.A. | |
| 1986 | The Ladies Club | Joe | |
| 1986 | Stoogemania | Gulch | |
| 1986 | Extremities | Security Guard | |
| 1987 | Deadly Daphne's Revenge | Det. Wood | |
| 1987 | Three for the Road | Clarence | |
| 1987 | Nightflyers | Darryl | |
| 1988 | License to Drive | Les' DMV Examiner | |
| 1991 | The Linguini Incident | Phil | |
| 1991 | Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time | Lt. Coberly | |
| 1991 | Shout | Midnight Rider | Voice Role |
| 1993 | Little Miss Millions | Agent Noah Hollander | |
| 1995 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Mr. Steve Yeager | |
| 1997 | Spirit Lost | Dr. Glidden | |
| 1998 | 12 Bucks | Slow | |
| 1998 | The Prince of Egypt | Additional Voices | Voice Role |
| 1998 | You Lucky Dog | Calvin Bridges | |
| 1999 | After Romeo | ||
| 1999 | Out in Fifty | Cappy | |
| 2000 | Dancing in September | Mr. Warner | |
| 2001 | Chasing Sunsets | Mr. Burken | |
| 2001 | Honeybee | Larry Dukes | |
| 2001 | Dr. Dolittle 2 | Eldon | |
| 2002 | Wheelmen | Vice President | |
| 2004 | Raise Your Voice | Mr. Gantry | |
| 2004 | Hair Show | Seymour Gold | |
| 2005 | Lethal Eviction | Gus | |
| 2005 | The Third Wish | George | |
| 2005 | A Christmas Wish | Saint | Short film |
| 2006 | Restraining Order | Judge Sanderson | |
| 2006 | Think Tank | Uncle John | |
| 2006 | Danika | Teddy Johnson | |
| 2007 | Who's Your Caddy? | Caddy Mack | |
| 2007 | Divine Intervention | Rev. Matthews | |
| 2008 | His Good Will | Mr. Cooper | Short film |
| 2008 | Leave with It | Dr. Leon | Short film |
| 2009 | Let the Game Begin | Mark Hanley | |
| 2009 | Steppin: The Movie | The Chancellor | |
| 2010 | Stride | George | |
| 2010 | The Grind | Modelo Snipes | |
| 2012 | Valediction | Edward | Short Film |
| 2014 | Wish I Was Here |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Antony and Cleopatra | Mardian | TV movie |
| 1983 | Tales of the Gold Monkey | Gabriel | Episode: "God Save the Queen" |
| 1983 | Newhart | Construction Guy | Episode: "Heaven Knows Mr. Utley" |
| 1983 | The Jeffersons | Coleman | Episode: "Father Christmas" |
| 1983, 1984 | Simon & Simon | Huey, Roy | 2 episodes |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | Tolliver | 3 episodes |
| 1984 | Legmen | No Neck | Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released" |
| 1984 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Episode: "Scared Stiff" | |
| 1984 | Going Bananas | Hank | |
| 1984 | Webster | Judge | Episode: "Webster Long (2)" |
| 1984 | Fist of the North Star | Fang (voice) | |
| 1984 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Charlie | Episode: "Cool Hands, Luke & Bo" |
| 1984, 1985 | Brothers | Bubba Dean | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Street Hawk | Councilman Waters | Pilot |
| 1985 | St. Elsewhere | Mental Patient | Episode: "Give the Boy a Hand" |
| 1985 | Cagney & Lacey | Episode: "Who Says It's Fair" (1) | |
| 1985 | Kicks | Stanley | TV movie |
| 1985 | Space | Jean-Marie | CBS miniseries |
| 1985 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Nabuti | Episode: "Murder Between Friends" |
| 1985 | Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling | Junkyard Dog (voice) | |
| 1985 | George Burns Comedy Week | Episode: "The Assignment" | |
| 1985 | The A-Team | Episode: "The Heart of Rock n' Roll" | |
| 1985 | Moonlighting | Reuben King | Episode: "Twas the Episode Before Christmas" |
| 1986 | Karate Kommandos | Additional voices | |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Chief Hansen | Episode: "Hell Toupee" |
| 1986 | Rambo and the Forces of Freedom | Turbo (voice) | |
| 1986 | Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Movie | Hank Dudney | TV movie |
| 1986 | Condor | Cas | TV movie |
| 1986 | Sunday Drive | Oliver | TV movie |
| 1986−1989 | The Real Ghostbusters | Killerwatt / Judge / Additional voices | 3 episodes |
| 1986−1988, 1989 | Amen | Arnie Samples / Rev. Crawford | 5 episodes |
| 1987 | Jake's M.O. | Abel Barnes | Unsold pilot/TV movie |
| 1987 | Timestalkers | Blacksmith | TV movie |
| 1987 | Jake and the Fatman | Episode: Fatal Attraction | |
| 1987, 1989 | Valerie | Judge N. Keller / Mr. Erdman | 2 episodes |
| 1987−1993 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Shredder (voice) | 103 episodes |
| 1988 | Dallas | Judge Fowler | Episode: "Malice in Dallas" |
| 1988 | Beauty and the Beast | Winslow | |
| 1988 | 227 | Jo-Jo | Episode: "My Aching Back" |
| 1988 | Heart and Soul | Harlan Sinclair | Pilot |
| 1988−1992 | L.A. Law | Judge Michael Conover | 9 episodes |
| 1989 | Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal | Earl | TV movie |
| 1989 | Roe vs. Wade | TV movie | |
| 1989 | FM | Quentin Lamoreaux | |
| 1989 | A Different World | The Pin Punisher | Episode: "To Have and Have Not" |
| 1989 | Turn Back the Clock | Physical Therapist | TV movie |
| 1990 | Night Court | Judge Hopkins | Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" (1) |
| 1990 | Capital News | Pilot | |
| 1990 | To My Daughter | TV movie | |
| 1990−1996 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Philip Banks | 141 episodes |
| 1991 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Shredder (voice) | TV movie |
| 1991 | The Legend of Prince Valiant | Sir Bryant (voice) | 9 episodes |
| 1992 | Roc | Dale Hammers | Episode: "The Car Accident from Heaven" |
| 1993 | Without Warning: Terror in the Towers | Fred Ferby | TV movie |
| 1993−1994 | American Experience | Charles Hamilton Houston / Narrator | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die | Chess Player | TV movie |
| 1994 | A Friend to Die For | Agent Gilwood | TV movie |
| 1994 | Aladdin | Haroud Hazi Bin (voice) | 9 episodes |
| 1994−1995 | Iron Man | War Machine (voice) | 7 episodes |
| 1995 | ABC Weekend Special | Headman (voice) | Episode: "Jirimpimbira – An African Folk Tale" |
| 1995 | Murder One | Judge Nathaniel Alexander | Episode: "Chapter Five" |
| 1996 | Gargoyles | The Shaman (voice) | Episode: "Walk About" |
| 1996 | Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys | Gor-illa/Gor (voice) | 26 episodes |
| 1996 | Spider-Man | War Machine (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1996−1998 | Sparks | Alonzo Sparks | 40 episodes |
| 199, 1998 | In the House | Mediator / Sampson Stanton | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Father (voice) | Episode: "The Golden Goose" |
| 1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters | Danny (voice) | Episode: "Dry Spell" |
| 1998 | The Advanced Guard | Fred | TV movie |
| 1998 | You Lucky Dog | Calvin | TV movie |
| 1998 | The Wild Thornberrys | Gorilla (voice) | Episode: "Valley Girls" |
| 1999 | Vengeance Unlimited | Judge Christopher Washington | Episode: "Legalese" |
| 1999 | King's Pawn | Cecil | Pilot |
| 1999 | For Your Love | Rev. Hicks | Episode: "Mother Load" |
| 1999 | Family Law | Episode: "Damages" | |
| 1999, 2000 | Pepper Ann | Mr. Clapper | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Bull | Prof. Gilbert Granville | Episode: "What the Past Will Bring" |
| 2000 | One World | William Richard | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" |
| 2000 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Preston Cash | Episode: "Unfriendly Skies" |
| 2000 | Two Guys and a Girl | Judge | Episode: "Rescue Me" |
| 2000, 2002 | Dharma & Greg | Walter | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Epoch | Dr. Solomon Holt | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Reverend | Episode: "Always and Forever" |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Harold Jenkins | Episode: "Wednesday Night Fever" |
| 2001 | The Legend of Tarzan | Chief Keewazi (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | The Proud Family | Crandall Smythe (voice) | Episode: "Spelling Bee" |
| 2001−2003 | Soul Food | Walter Carter | 4 episodes |
| 2002 | Philly | Dean Mark Clivner | Episode: "Here Comes the Judge" |
| 2002 | Judging Amy | Mr. Ruff | Episode: "Damage Control" |
| 2002 | Nancy Drew | Prof. Shifflin | TV movie |
| 2002−2003 | The Division | Charles Haysbert | 9 episodes |
| 2003 | Reba | Judge Samuel Bennett | Episode: "The Feud" |
| 2003 | Crossing Jordan | Dr. Erkhart | Episode: "Conspiracy" |
| 2003 | Street Smarts | Contestant | Episode: "May 16, 2003" |
| 2003 | All About the Andersons | Roscoe | Episode: "Flo's Dream" |
| 2003−2004 | All of Us | Lucas | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | That '70s Show | Officer Kennedy | 3 episodes |
| 2004 | Charmed | Zola | Episode: "A Call to Arms" |
| 2004 | NYPD Blue | Steve Pines | Episode: "Great Balls or Ire" |
| 2004 | Girlfriends | Dr. Couch | Episode: "Maybe Baby" |
| 2004 | That's So Raven | Presto Jones | Episode: "Opportunity Shocks" |
| 2005−2007 | The Closer | Dr. Crippen | 11 episodes |
| 2005 | My Wife and Kids | Professor Tillman | Episode: "Study Buddy" |
| 2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | General K'Vagh | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Living With Fran | Mr. Bryant | Episode: "Learning with Fran" |
| 2006 | Take 3 | Judge Sanderson | Episode: "Study Buddy" |
| 2008 | Eli Stone | Mason Andrews | Episode: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" |
| 2009 | Sherri | Redmond | 4 episodes |
| 2012 | Grey's Anatomy | Sam | Episode: "One Step Too Far" |
| 2012 | The Young and the Restless | Judge Roy Daley | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film | Dr. Beckett | TV movie |
Video games[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Splash Mountain | Br'er Frog | |
| 1995 | Animated Storybook: The Lion King | Narrator | |
| 2011 | Kinect Disneyland Adventures | Br'er Bear |
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James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip Banks, Will Smith's character's uncle, in the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This character was ranked #34 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time." He also provided the voice of Shredder in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series, as well as War Machine in the animated series Iron Man and Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. He also played Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.
Avery was born in 1945 in Pughsville, Hampton Roads, Virginia and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He served in theVietnam War as a member of the United States Navy from 1968–1969, after graduating high school. Later on, he moved to San Diego, California, where he began to write poetry and TV scripts.
In addition to his fame in sitcoms, he did voice acting for many animated series, most notably the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series (as the voice of The Shredder) and James Rhodes in the 1990s Iron Man series.
He married Barbara in 1988. He had no biological children of his own, but was a stepfather to his wife's son, Kevin Waters. As well as his wife and stepson, he is survived by his mother Florence Avery.
On December 31, 2013, Avery died at the age of 68 from complications following open heart surgery in a Los Angeles suburb hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
He married Barbara in 1988. He had no biological children of his own, but was a stepfather to his wife's son, Kevin Waters. As well as his wife and stepson, he is survived by his mother Florence Avery.
On December 31, 2013, Avery died at the age of 68 from complications following open heart surgery in a Los Angeles suburb hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
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