James Avery

• Name — James Avery • Birth Name — James La Rue Avery • Born — 27 November 1945 • Birthplace — Pughsville, Virginia, U.S. • Died — 31 December 2013 • Place of death — Glendale, California, U.S. • Education — University of California, San Diego (BA) • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1978–2013

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. As a teenager, his mother moved him to Atlantic City, New Jersey. He graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1963. He served in the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969, and then moved to San Diego, California, where he began to write poetry and TV scripts for PBS. Avery's first acting role was playing God in the play J.B. in 1971 at San Diego Community College. He won an Emmy for production of "Ameda Speaks: Poet James Avery". He 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.

• Illustration — Avery in September 2013, three months before his death Avery began his career in the 1980s with appearances in television series such as CBS's Simon & Simon, NBC's Hill Street Blues, Showtime's sitcom Brothers as Bubba Dean, Amen, FM and L.A. Law. He achieved prominence for his role as Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996, a character that was ranked number 34 in TV Guides "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. Avery's movie appearances included an uncredited role in The Blues Brothers (1980), a small role as a corrupt police officer in Fletch (1985), License to Drive (1988), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), and Raise Your Voice (2004), among others. 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 Walt 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), Haroud Hazi Bin in Aladdin (1994), and Kahma in the film The Prince of Egypt (1998). In 1997, Avery hosted the travel series "Going Places" on PBS. Avery was the commencement speaker for his alma mater, UC San Diego's Thurgood Marshall College, in 2007 and again in 2012.

In 1988, Avery married Barbara Waters. 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.

On December 31, 2013, Avery died at the age of 68 at Glendale Memorial Medical Center following complications from open heart surgery. He received tributes from many of the cast members of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air including Janet Hubert, Will Smith, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Joseph Marcell. Avery was cremated and his ashes were 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.

• Illustration — Barbara Avery and actress Daphne Maxwell Reid at the inaugural AveryFest in James Avery's hometown of Suffolk, Virginia AveryFest is an annual African-American cultural and music festival held every September or October since 2023 in Suffolk, Virginia, near Avery's birthplace. Featured at the 2023 festival were Barbara Avery, actress Daphne Maxwell Reid (his TV wife from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and a special jazz spotlight in memory of Avery, who loved jazz music.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1983 — Antony and Cleopatra — Mardian — Television film • Tales of the Gold Monkey — Gabriel — Episode: "God Save the Queen" • Newhart — Construction Guy — Episode: "Heaven Knows Mr. Utley" • The Jeffersons — Coleman — Episode: "Father Christmas" • 1983–1984 — Simon & Simon — Huey, Roy — 2 episodes • 1984 — Hill Street Blues — Tolliver — 3 episodes • Legmen — No Neck — Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released" • Hardcastle and McCormick — Jackson — Episode: "Scared Stiff" • Going Bananas — Hank • Webster — Judge — Episode: "Webster Long" • Fist of the North Star — Fang — Voice; English dub • The Dukes of Hazzard — Charlie — Episode: "Cool Hands, Luke & Bo" • 1984–1985 — Brothers — Bubba Dean — 2 episodes • 1985 — Street Hawk — Councilman Waters — Pilot • St. Elsewhere — Mental Patient — Episode: "Give the Boy a Hand" • Cagney & Lacey — Mr. Berwin — Episode: "Who Says It's Fair" • Kicks — Stanley — Television film • Space — Jean-Marie — CBS miniseries • Scarecrow and Mrs. King — Nabuti — Episode: "Murder Between Friends" • Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling — Junkyard Dog — Voice • George Burns Comedy Week — Episode: "The Assignment" • The A-Team — Quint — Episode: "The Heart of Rock n' Roll" • Moonlighting — Reuben King — Episode: "Twas the Episode Before Christmas" • 1986 — Karate Kommandos — Additional voices • Amazing Stories — Chief Hansen — Episode: "Hell Toupee" • Rambo and the Forces of Freedom — Turbo — Voice • Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story — Hank Dudney — Television film • Condor — Cas • Sunday Drive — Oliver • 1986–1989 — The Real Ghostbusters — Killerwatt / Judge — Voice, 3 episodes • Amen — Arnie Samples / Rev. Crawford — 5 episodes • 1987 — Jake's M.O. — Abel Barnes — Television film • Timestalkers — Blacksmith • Jake and the Fatman — Lieutenant — 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" • Beauty and the Beast — Winslow • 227 — Jo-Jo — Episode: "My Aching Back" • Heart and Soul — Harlan Sinclair — Pilot • 1988–1992 — L.A. Law — Judge Michael Conover — 9 episodes • 1989 — Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal — Earl — Television film • Roe vs. Wade • FM — Quentin Lamoreaux — TV series • A Different World — The Pin Punisher — Episode: "To Have and Have Not" • Turn Back the Clock — Physical Therapist — Television film • 1990 — Night Court — Judge Hopkins — Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" • Capital News — Mr. Fairchild — Pilot • To My Daughter — Ian Mellon — Television film • 1990–1996 — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — Philip Banks — Main role; 148 episodes • 1991 — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Shredder — Voice, television film • 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 — Television film • Family Matters — Himself — Episode: "Scenes from a Mall" • 1993–1994 — American Experience — Charles Hamilton Houston / Narrator — 2 episodes • 1994 — Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die — Chess Player — Television film • A Friend to Die For — Agent Gilwood • Aladdin — Haroud Hazi Bin — Voice, 11 episodes • 1994–1995 — Iron Man — Jim Rhodes / War Machine (ep. 1–5), Whirlwind (ep. 1–11), Blacklash (1994–1995) — Voice, 7 episodes • 1995 — ABC Weekend Special — Headman — Voice, episode: "Jirimpimbira – An African Folk Tale" • Murder One — Judge Nathaniel Alexander — Episode: "Chapter Five" • 1996 — Gargoyles — The Shaman — Voice, episode: "Walkabout" • Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys — Gor-illa/Gor — Voice, 26 episodes • Spider-Man — War Machine — Voice, 2 episodes • 1996–1998 — Sparks — Alonzo Sparks — 40 episodes • In the House — Mediator / Sampson Stanton — 2 episodes • 1997 — Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child — Father — Voice, episode: "The Golden Goose" • Extreme Ghostbusters — Danny — Voice, episode: "Dry Spell" • 1998 — The Advanced Guard — Fred — Television film • You Lucky Dog — Calvin Bridges • The Wild Thornberrys — Gorilla — Voice, episode: "Valley Girls" • 1999 — Vengeance Unlimited — Judge Christopher Washington — Episode: "Legalese" • King's Pawn — Cecil — Pilot • Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? — Malcolm Avalon — 2 episodes • For Your Love — Rev. Hicks — Episode: "Mother Load" • Family Law — Episode: "Damages" • 1999–2000 — Pepper Ann — Mr. Clapper — 3 episodes • 2000 — Bull — Prof. Gilbert Granville — Episode: "What the Past Will Bring" • One World — William Richard — Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Preston Cash — Episode: "Unfriendly Skies" • Two Guys and a Girl — Judge — Episode: "Rescue Me" • 2000–2002 — Dharma & Greg — Walter — 2 episodes • 2001 — Epoch — Dr. Solomon Holt — Television film • The Jamie Foxx Show — Reverend — Episode: "Always and Forever" • Strong Medicine — Harold Jenkins — Episode: "Wednesday Night Fever" • The Legend of Tarzan — Chief Keewazi — Voice, 3 episodes • The Proud Family — Crandall Smythe — Voice, episode: "Spelling Bee" • 2001–2002 — The Nightmare Room — R.L. Stine — 12 episodes • 2001–2003 — Soul Food — Walter Carter — 4 episodes • 2002 — Philly — Dean Mark Clivner — Episode: "Here Comes the Judge" • Judging Amy — Mr. Ruff — Episode: "Damage Control" • Nancy Drew — Prof. Shifflin — Television film • 2002–2003 — The Division — Charles Haysbert — 9 episodes • 2003 — Reba — Judge Samuel Bennett — Episode: "The Feud" • Crossing Jordan — Dr. Erkhart — Episode: "Conspiracy" • Street Smarts — Contestant — Episode: "May 16, 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 • Charmed — Zola — Episode: "A Call to Arms" • NYPD Blue — Steve Pines — Episode: "Great Balls or Ire" • Girlfriends — Dr. Couch — Episode: "Maybe Baby" • That's So Raven — Presto Jones — Episode: "Opportunity Shocks" • 2005–2007 — The Closer — Dr. Crippen — 11 episodes • 2005 — My Wife and Kids — Prof. Floyd F. Tillman — Episode: "Study Buddy" • Star Trek: Enterprise — General K'Vagh — 2 episodes • 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 • 2011 — The Problem Solverz — Go-Seeki Ninja Master / Ninja Master Head — Voice, episode: "Hide and Seek Ninjaz" • 2012 — Grey's Anatomy — Sam — Episode: "One Step Too Far" • The Young and the Restless — Judge Roy Daley — 2 episodes • 2013 — Call Me Crazy: A Five Film — Dr. Beckett — Television film • Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer — Judge Parsons • Go, Bolivia, Go! — Commissioner Morocco • 2015 — Da Jammies — Covington — Voice, episode: "Cello" Posthumous release

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1992 — Splash Mountain — Br'er Frog, Br'er Bear — Walt Disney World version only • 1994 — Disney's Animated Storybook: The Lion King — Narrator • 2006 — Biker Mice from Mars — Cataclysm / Cat Commando • 2011 — Kinect Disneyland Adventures — Br'er Bear