James Avery (actor) - James Avery Voice Actor

James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 â€" December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He played patriarch Philip Banks in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990âˆ'96). 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 (1994âˆ'95) and Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling (1985). He also played Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show (2004).

Life and career

Avery was born James LaRue Avery in Pughsville, Virginia on November 27, 1945 and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1968â€"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 Shredder) and James Rhodes/War Machine in the 1990s Iron Man series.

Avery was the commencement speaker for his alma mater, UC San Diego's Thurgood Marshall College in 2007 and again in 2012.

Personal life

In 1988, Avery married Barbara. He had no children of his own, but was a stepfather to his wife's son Kevin Waters.

Death

On December 31, 2013, Avery died at age 68 from complications following open heart surgery at Glendale Memorial Medical Center. He is survived by his mother Florence Avery, as well as his wife and stepson.

Janet Hubert, who portrayed his original wife on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, said after his death, "RIP James, all the world is a stage, and we are all merely players in this production called LIFE." Will Smith commented on his death by saying, "Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery. Every young man needs an Uncle Phil. Rest in Peace." Joseph Marcell called Avery a "gentle giant".

The song "No Role Modelz" from 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole pays tribute to Avery. It contains the lyric "First things first rest in peace Uncle Phil. For real, you the only father that I ever knew."

Avery's remains were later cremated and were scattered near the Pacific Ocean.

Filmography

Television

Video games

References

External links

• James Avery at the Internet Movie Database
• James Avery at AllMovie
• The HistoryMakers Biography, photos and video clips