James Avery
American actor (1945-2013) · United States · Actors · Died at 68
6,378 readers on 15 October, the first readership we can measure.
He was Uncle Phil - the gravity that held The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air together - and the menacing rasp behind Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Two generations knew his voice before they knew his face.
A life in dates
Call Me Crazy: A Five FilmFilm, 2013Dr. Beckett2007
Who's Your Caddy?Film, Caddy Mack2006
DanikaFilm, Teddy Johnson2005
Grey's AnatomySeries, Sam2004
Hair ShowFilm, Seymour Gold2001
Crossing JordanSeries, Dr. Erkhart
Dr. Dolittle 2Film, 2001Eldon2000
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationSeries, Preston Cash1998
The Advanced GuardFilm, Fred, Captive Security Guard1994
Spider-ManSeries, Jim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)
A Friend to Die ForFilm, 1994Agent Gilwood1993
Little Miss MillionsFilm, Agent Noah Hollander1991
Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of TimeFilm, Lt. Coberly1989
Family MattersSeries, (uncredited)1988
American ExperienceSeries, Charles Hamilton Houston (voice)
License to DriveFilm, 1988Les' DMV examiner1987
Deadly Daphne's RevengeFilm, Detective Wood1986
L.A. LawSeries, Judge Michael Conover1985
FletchFilm, Detective #21984
Night CourtSeries, Judge Hopkins1983
The A-TeamSeries, Quint1980
The Blues BrothersFilm, Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop1978
DallasSeries, Judge J. Fowler1945Born27 November 1945Also in Deutsch
Photos 3
Filmography 40
WHWish I Was Here
TTTurtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesCFCall Me Crazy: A Five Film
HKHunt for the Labyrinth Killer
SMSteppin: The MovieWCWho's Your Caddy?DADanika
SSSpider-Man: The Venom Saga
LELethal Eviction
RVRaise Your VoiceHSHair ShowDDDr. Dolittle 2
EPEpoch
TEThe Prince of Egypt
YDYou Lucky DogTGThe Advanced Guard
TMThe Brady Bunch MovieAFA Friend to Die For
HDHart to Hart: Old Friends Never DieLMLittle Miss MillionsBTBeastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time
SHShout
TIThe Linguini Incident
TTTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids
RWRoe vs. Wade
FSFull Exposure: The Sex Tapes ScandalLDLicense to Drive
TBTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins
THTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell
TRThree for the Road
TITimestalkers
NINightflyersDRDeadly Daphne's Revenge
MD8 Million Ways to Die
EXExtremities
TCThe Ladies Club
TCThe 11th CommandmentFLFletchTBThe Blues Brothers
TMThe Stunt Man142 credits on file
Television 24
GAGrey's Anatomy
TCThe Closer
TRThat's So Raven
SEStar Trek: EnterpriseCJCrossing JordanCICSI: Crime Scene Investigation
SMStrong Medicine
GIGirlfriends
CHCharmed
TSThat '70s Show
TTThe Wild ThornberrysSMSpider-Man
TAThe Fresh Prince of Bel-AirFMFamily MattersAEAmerican Experience
TTTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
AWA Different WorldLLL.A. Law
MOMoonlightingNCNight CourtTTThe A-Team
SESt. Elsewhere
NENewhartDADallasIn their orbit
About this person
James La Rue Avery was born November 27, 1945, and built a career on presence: the kind of actor who could anchor a sitcom or disappear into a villain's snarl. He played Judge Michael Conover on L.A. Law, lent his voice to Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Haroud Hazi Bin in Aladdin, and showed up in The Brady Bunch Movie as Steve Yeager. But it was Philip Banks - the stern, surprisingly tender patriarch on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - that became his through-line, the role people quoted at his memorial. He later played Dr. Crippen on The Closer from 2005 to 2007. Avery died December 31, 2013, two months past his sixty-eighth birthday.
In common with James
Michael WeatherlyAlso in The Advanced Guard (1998)
John de LancieAlso in You Lucky Dog (1998)
George R. R. MartinAlso in Nightflyers (1987)
Jennifer Love HewittAlso in Little Miss Millions (1993)
Jeffrey JonesAlso in Who's Your Caddy? (2007)
Vanessa WilliamsAlso in Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal (1989)Fame.am measures public visibility signals. It does not measure human value, talent, morality, or credibility.