Misplaced Pages

James Avery
Avery in 2001
Born	James La Rue Avery (1945-11-27)November 27, 1945 Suffolk, Virginia, U.S.
Died	December 31, 2013(2013-12-31) (aged 68) Glendale, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1980–2013
Spouse	Barbara Avery ​(m. 1988)​

James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Judge Michael Conover on L.A. Law, Steve Yeager in The Brady Bunch Movie, and Dr. Crippen on The Closer (2005–2007); and as the voice actor for Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Haroud Hazi Bin in Aladdin.

Early life

Avery was born on November 27, 1945, in Pughsville, Virginia (present-day Suffolk, Virginia), to mother Florence J. Avery. His father denied paternity and was not listed on his birth certificate. Florence would later move a teenaged James to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he attended Atlantic City High School. He served in the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969, and eventually moved to San Diego, California, where he began to write poetry and TV scripts for PBS. He won an Emmy for production during his tenure there, and then received a scholarship to UC San Diego, where he attended Thurgood Marshall College (then Third College), earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and literature in 1976.

Career

Avery began his career in the 1980s with appearances in television series such as NBC's Hill Street Blues, Showtime sitcom Brothers as Bubba Dean, Amen, FM and L.A. Law. In the 1990s, he achieved prominence for his role as Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a character that was ranked number 34 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time". After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended, he played the lead role of Alonzo Sparks in the UPN comedy series Sparks that lasted for two seasons. Other notable roles in television included Dr. Crippen in The Closer, Charles Haysbert in The Division, and Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.

Among his most notable voice credits are the voices of Shredder in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Br'er Bear in the Disney World version of Splash Mountain and Kinect Disneyland Adventures and James Rhodes/War Machine in the 1990s Iron Man series. He also lent his powerful bass voice as Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling (1985–1986), Turbo in Rambo and the Forces of Freedom (1986), and Haroud Hazi Bin in Aladdin (1994).

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 his girlfriend Barbara. Barbara was later dean of student life at Loyola Marymount University. He had no biological children, but was a stepfather to Barbara's son, Kevin Waters.

Death, tributes and legacy

On December 31, 2013, Avery died at the age of 68 at Glendale Memorial Medical Center. His publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told the Associated Press that Avery died following complications from open heart surgery.

Janet Hubert, who portrayed his on-screen wife Vivian on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for the first three seasons, 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 Avery's death, 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." Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Avery's on-screen son Carlton said, “I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly". Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey) called Avery a "gentle giant".

Avery's remains were cremated and scattered near the Pacific Ocean. In April 2020, Will Smith reunited with the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on a video conference honoring Avery's best moments on the show.

AveryFest

AveryFest is an annual African-American cultural and music festival held in the United States. The event, named in honor of James Avery, had its inaugural event September 2, 2023 in Avery's hometown of Suffolk, Virginia. The event will be held at Bennett's Creek Park each year, only minutes away from the Pughsville neighborhood where Avery was born.

In 2023, the first year of the festival included special guest appearances from Avery's wife, Barbara Avery, his TV wife from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, actress Daphne Maxwell Reid, and a special jazz spotlight in memory of Avery, who loved jazz music.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games/Other

References

1. "Biography via The History Makers". Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
2. Keepnews, Peter (January 1, 2014). "James Avery, 'Fresh Prince' Actor, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
3. "James Avery, Uncle on "Fresh Prince," Dead at 68". NBC Los Angeles. January 1, 2014. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
4. Jackson, Vincent. "James Avery returns home to accept award from NJEA" Archived August 29, 2024, at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, November 10, 2001. Accessed February 9, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Atlantic City native actor James Avery returned to his hometown this weekend to receive an award acknowledging his promotion of the teaching profession and recognizing his leadership in the acting field.... Avery, 52, is an Atlantic City High School graduate."
5. ^ Messer, Lesley (January 1, 2014). "'Fresh Prince' Star James Avery Died at 68". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
6. Griffin, Jade (February 13, 2014). "Memorial Tribute to Late Actor and UC San Diego Alumnus James Avery Set for March 1". UC San Diego News Center. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
7. "James Avery Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
8. Heigl, Alex (January 2, 2014). "Watch James Avery Talk About Voicing Shredder in the Ninja Turtles Cartoon". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
9. "James Avery". Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
10. "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - James Avery as Philip Banks". TBS. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
11. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: 1990-1996". People. June 26, 2000. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
12. Vena, Jocelyn. "'Fresh Prince' Co-Stars Remember James Avery". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
13. ^ France, Lisa Respers (January 1, 2014). "James Avery, star of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' dies at 68". CNN. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
14. Dillon, Nancy; Margaret Eby; Zayda Rivera (January 1, 2014). "James Avery, Fresh Prince of Bel Air star, dies at 65". Daily News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
15. "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor James Avery dies - BBC News". BBC.com. January 1, 2014. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
16. "James Avery Dead". If You Blinked. January 3, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
17. "Will Smith on James Avery Death: 'Every Young Man Needs an Uncle'". Hollywood Reporter. January 6, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
18. "James Avery, star of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' dies at 68". CNN.com. January 2014. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
19. "[Photos] 'Fresh Prince' Cast Reunite To Say Final Goodbyes To James Avery (Uncle Phil) | xoNECOLE". March 30, 2017. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017.
20. Gonzalez, Sandra (April 30, 2020). ""The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" cast gets emotional watching Uncle Phil's best moments". Cnn.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
21. Carras, Christi (May 1, 2020). "Will Smith wipes tears while honoring James Avery during 'Fresh Prince' reunion". Detroitnews.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
22. VanHoose, Benjamin (April 30, 2020). "Will Smith Reunites with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Cast: 'You Guys Are My Second Family'". People. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
23. "Bennett's Creek Park to hold first 'Averyfest". suffolknewsherald.com. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
24. "Averyfest celebrates Suffolk-born actor's career, life". Suffolk News-Herald. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
25. ^ "James Avery (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.

External links

• James Avery at IMDb
• James Avery at AllMovie
• The HistoryMakers Biography, photos and video clips

• 1945 births
• 2013 deaths
• 20th-century African-American writers
• 20th-century African-American male actors
• 20th-century American male actors
• 20th-century American male writers
• 20th-century American poets
• 21st-century African-American male actors
• 21st-century American male actors
• Actors from Atlantic City, New Jersey
• African-American male writers
• African-American poets
• African-American screenwriters
• African-American television writers
• African-American United States Navy personnel
• African Americans in the Vietnam War
• American male film actors
• American male poets
• American male television actors
• American male television writers
• American male voice actors
• American television personalities
• American television writers
• Atlantic City High School alumni
• Deaths from complications of heart surgery
• Male actors from New Jersey
• Male actors from Virginia
• People from Suffolk, Virginia
• Screenwriters from California
• Screenwriters from New Jersey
• Screenwriters from Virginia
• United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
• United States Navy sailors
• University of California, San Diego alumni
• Virginia State University alumni