Actor James Avery, well-known for his character Uncle Phil from “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” passed away at age 65 this Tuesday night in a Los Angeles hospital. Avery’s publicist Cynthia Snyder reported that she did not know the cause of his death, according to MSN News.
Avery had been acting for thirty years, beginning with “The Blues Brothers” in 1980 and “Hill Street Blues” in 1984. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he had created voice-overs for characters such as Presto in “That’s So Raven” and Shredder in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” He was most known for his character Uncle Philip Banks, a police officer in “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” With actor Will Smith, this show soared to fame in 1990, running for six seasons on NBC.
Chicago Tribune reports actor Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Philip’s son Carlton on the show. “I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly,” said Ribeiro.
Avery was born on November 27, 1948, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Avery. They had been married for 26 years.
Photo Courtesy of Javier Fernandez