James Avery
Philip "Phill" Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Birth name : James Avery
Birth date : 1948/11/27
Date of death : 2013/12/31 (65 years old)
Birth place : Atlantic City New Jersey
Height: 1.94 m
Biography for James Avery
Although best known as the uncle/patriarch and attorney "Philip Banks" on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), James Avery is a classically trained actor and scholar. A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, he joined the US Navy after graduating high school and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Upon leaving the military, he moved to San Diego, California and began writing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. He won an Emmy for production during his tenure there and deservedly won a scholarship to the University of California at San Diego from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Drama and Literature. (Sidenote: His wife Barbara is the Dean of Student Life at California's Loyola Marymount University.) In addition to his sitcom popularity, he has lent his voice to over a dozen animated television series and features. He also has been the primary host of the popular PBS travel and adventure series "Going Places" (1997). Armed with a diverse resume of credits, James Avery remains a unique creative force as convincing a comedian as he is a Shakespearean character.
James Avery is an American actor and producer born November 27, 1948 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A classic training, he is best known for having played the role of Uncle Phil, the lawyer-pastry in the series Le Prince de Bel-Air.
He joined the US Navy after obtaining his secondary school diploma and he served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969. After leaving the armed forces, he moved to San Diego and began to write scenarios On television and poetry for the public Broadcast Service (PBS). He won an Emmy for his work in PBS and the University of California in San Diego gave him a scholarship. He obtained a baccalaureate in theater in theater and literature at the university. In addition to his celebrity in situational comedies, he made the interpretation of voices in several cartoons, notably the Ninja turtles in 1987 for the voice of Shredder. He was the main host of Going Places, a series of trips and adventures on PBS.
James Avery was an American actor known for his role of "Uncle Phil" in the television series "The Prince of Bel-Air". He was born on November 27, 1945 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and died on December 31, 2013 in Glendale, California.
Avery began his acting career in the late 1980s, playing in television series such as "the tales of the crypt" and "the iron man". However, it was his role in "the prince of Bel-Air" that made him famous. In this series, he played Philip Banks, the adoptive father of the main character, Will Smith.
Apart from his acting career, Avery was also a talented poet and a voice artist. He made the voice of several characters in cartoons, such as Shredder in "Les Tortues Ninja" and King Richard in "Shrek".
Avery was also a committed man. He was a member of several charitable organizations, including the AIDS association and the Center for sick children.
Unfortunately, Avery died in 2013, at the age of 68, following complications related to cardiac surgery. His death was a shock for his fans and colleagues, who paid tribute to his career and his life. Its contribution to the entertainment industry and to society in general will never be forgotten.
Photos
Filmography
| Title | Role |
|---|---|
| Harvest Moon (2008) (in production) | High Father |
| I Wanna Dance (2007) (announced) | Big money Mike |
| Stride (2009) (post-production) | George |
| Let the Game Begin (2008) (post-production) | Mark Hanley |
| Steppin: The Movie (2008) (post-production) | The Chancellor |
| Eli Stone | Mason Andrews (1 episode, 2008) |
| Divine Intervention (2007/I) | Rev. Matthews |
| Who's Your Caddy? (2007) | Caddy Mack |
| The Closer | Medical Examiner / ... (11 episodes, 2005-2007) |
| Danika (2006) | Teddy Johnson |
| Think Tank (2006) | Uncle John |
| Restraining Order (2006) | Judge Sanderson |
| Living with Fran | Mr. Bryant (1 episode, 2005) |
| A Christmas Wish (2005) | Saint |
| A History of Black Achievement in America (2005) TV series | Narrator |
| The Third Wish (2005) | George |
| Lethal Eviction (2005) | Gus |
| Enterprise | General K'Vagh (2 episodes, 2005) |
| My Wife and Kids | Professor Tillman (1 episode, 2005) |
| All of Us | Lucas / ... (2 episodes, 2003-2004) |
| That's So Raven | Presto Jones (1 episode, 2004) |
| Girlfriends | Dr. Couch (1 episode, 2004) |
| Hair Show (2004) | Seymour Gold |
| NYPD Blue | Steve Pines (1 episode, 2004) |
| Raise Your Voice (2004) | Mr. Gantry |
| Charmed | Zola (1 episode, 2004) |
| That '70s Show | Officer Kennedy (3 episodes, 2004) |
| All About the Andersons | Roscoe (1 episode, 2003) |
| Street Smarts | Contestant (1 episode, 2003) |
| Soul Food | Walter Carter #2 (4 episodes, 2001-2003) |
| Crossing Jordan | Dr. Erkhart (1 episode, 2003) |
| Reba | Judge Samuel Bennett (1 episode, 2003) |
| The Division | Charles Haysbert (9 episodes, 2002-2003) |
| Nancy Drew (2002) (TV) | Prof. Shifflin |
| Judging Amy | Mr. Ruff (1 episode, 2002) |
| Dharma & Greg | Waiter / ... (2 episodes, 2000-2002) |
| Philly | Dean Mark Clivner (1 episode, 2002) |
| Wheelmen (2002) | Vice President |
| The Proud Family | Crandall Smythe (1 episode, 2001) |
| The Legend of Tarzan | Keewazi (3 episodes, 2001) |
| Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) (as James L. Avery) | Eldon |
| Honeybee (2001) | Larry Dukes |
| Strong Medicine | Harold Jenkins (1 episode, 2001) |
| The Jamie Foxx Show | Reverend (1 episode, 2001) |
| Chasing Sunsets (2001) | Mr. Burken |
| Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Judge (1 episode, 2000) |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Preston Cash (1 episode, 2000) |
| One World | William Richard (1 episode, 2000) |
| Bull | Prof. Gilbert Granville (1 episode) |
| Dancing in September (2000) | Mr. Warner |
| Epoch (2000) (TV) | Dr. Solomon Holt |
| Family Law (1 episode, 1999) | |
| Pepper Ann | Mr. Clapper (3 episodes, 1999) |
| For Your Love | Rev. Hicks (1 episode, 1999) |
| King's Pawn (1999) (TV) | Cecil |
| Vengeance Unlimited | Judge Christopher Washington (1 episode, 1999) |
| After Romeo (1999) | |
| Out in Fifty (1999) | Cappy |
| The Prince of Egypt (1998) (voice) | Overseer |
| The Wild Thornberrys | Gorilla (1 episode, 1998) |
| In the House | Mediator / ... (2 episodes, 1996-1998) |
| The Advanced Guard (1998) (TV) | Fred, Captive Security Guard |
| 12 Bucks (1998) | Slow |
| You Lucky Dog (1998) (TV) | Calvin |
| Extreme Ghostbusters | Danny (1 episode, 1997) |
| Sparks | Alonzo Sparks (4 episodes, 1996-1997) |
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Father (1 episode, 1997) |
| Spider-Man | Jim Rhodes / ... (1 episode, 1996) |
| Captain Simian & The Space Monkeys | Gor-illa (2 episodes, 1996) |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Philip Banks (141 episodes, 1990-1996) |
| Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (2 episodes, 1994-1996) | |
| Gargoyles | The Shaman (1 episode, 1996) |
| Spirit Lost (1996) | Dr. Glidden |
| Murder One | Judge Nathaniel Alexander (1 episode, 1995) |
| ABC Weekend Specials | Headman (1 episode, 1984-1995) |
| The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) | Mr. Steve Yeager |
| Aladdin | Haroud Hazi Bin (8 episodes, 1994) |
| The American Experience | Charles Hamilton Houston / ... (2 episodes, 1993-1994) |
| Iron Man | Jim Rhodes / ... (1 episode, 1994-1995) |
| A Friend to Die For (1994) (TV) | Agent Gilwood |
| Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die (1994) (TV) | Chess Player |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Shredder (130 episodes, 1987-1994) |
| Without Warning: Terror in the Towers (1993) (TV) | Fred Ferby |
| Little Miss Millions (1993) | Agent Noah Hollander |
| Roc | Dale Hammers (1 episode, 1992) |
| L.A. Law | Judge Michael Conover (9 episodes, 1988-1992) |
| The Linguini Incident (1991) | Phil |
| Shout (1991) (voice) | Midnight Rider |
| The Legend of Prince Valiant | Sir Bryant (9 episodes) |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids (1991) (TV) | Shredder |
| Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991) | Lt. Coberly |
| To My Daughter (1990) (TV) | |
| Night Court | Judge Hopkins (1 episode, 1990) |
| Capital News (1990) (TV) | |
| Turn Back the Clock (1989) (TV) | Physical Therapist |
| Amen | Rev. Crawford / ... (5 episodes, 1986-1989) |
| A Different World | The Pin Punisher (1 episode, 1989) |
| Valerie | Judge N. Keller / ... (2 episodes, 1987-1989) |
| The Real Ghost Busters | Additional Cast / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1989) |
| FM (1989) TV series | Quentin Lamoreaux (unknown episodes) |
| Splash Mountain (1989) (VG) (voice) | Br'er Frog |
| Roe vs. Wade (1989) (TV) | |
| Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal (1989) (TV) | Earl |
| License to Drive (1988) | Les' DMV Examiner |
| 227 | Jo-Jo (1 episode, 1988) |
| Beauty and the Beast | Winslow (4 episodes, 1988) |
| Dallas | Judge Fowler (1 episode, 1988) |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) (mini) TV mini-series | The Shredder (Oroku Saki) |
| Nightflyers (1987) | Darryl |
| Jake and the Fatman (1 episode, 1987) | |
| Three for the Road (1987) | Clarence |
| Timestalkers (1987) (TV) | Blacksmith |
| Deadly Daphne's Revenge (1987) | Police Detective |
| Jake's M.O. (1987) | Abel Barnes |
| Body Count (1987/I) | |
| Sunday Drive (1986) (TV) | Oliver |
| Extremities (1986) | Security Guard |
| Condor (1986) (TV) | Cas |
| Stoogemania (1986) | Gulch |
| Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story (1986) (TV) | Hank Dudney |
| The Ladies Club (1986) | Joe |
| 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) | Deputy D.A. |
| Rambo (1986) TV series (voice) | Turbo |
| Amazing Stories | Chief Hansen (1 episode, 1986) |
| Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos (1986) TV series | Additional Voices (unknown episodes) |
| Hokuto no ken (1986) (voice: English version) | Fang |
| Moonlighting | Reuben King (1 episode, 1985) |
| The A-Team (1 episode, 1985) | |
| Appointment with Fear (1985) | Connors |
| Brothers | Bubba / ... (2 episodes, 1984-1985) |
| Rock 'n' Wrestling (1985) TV series | The Junkyard Dog (animated segments) (unknown episodes) |
| Fletch (1985) | Detective #2 |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Nabuti (1 episode, 1985) |
| Space (1985) (mini) TV mini-series | Jean-Marie |
| Kicks (1985) (TV) | Stanley |
| Cagney & Lacey (1 episode, 1985) | |
| Street Hawk | Councilman Waters (1 episode, 1985) |
| The Dukes of Hazzard | Charlie (1 episode, 1984) |
| Hokuto no Ken (1984) TV series | Fang (unknown episodes) |
| Webster | Judge (1 episode, 1984) |
| Going Bananas (1984) TV series | Hank |
| Hardcastle and McCormick (1 episode, 1984) | |
| Simon & Simon | Huey / ... (2 episodes, 1983-1984) |
| Legmen | No Neck (1 episode, 1984) |
| Hill Street Blues | Tolliver (3 episodes, 1984) |
| The Jeffersons | Coleman (1 episode, 1983) |
| Newhart | Construction Worker (1 episode, 1983) |
| Tales of the Gold Monkey | Gabriel (1 episode, 1983) |
| Antony and Cleopatra (1983) (TV) | Mardian |
| The Stunt Man (1980) (uncredited) |
Trivia
- Served in the Vietnam War.
- Was in the Navy, which involved him in Vietnam.
- Hobbies are: Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Sailing, and Swimming.
- Philip Banks, Avery's character on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), was ranked #34 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].
- Popular voice over actor, he has done voice work for numerous cartoons and advertisements, probably his most famous voice over was that of Shredder for seven years on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987).
Family
- Spouse : Barbara Avery (1988/9 - present)
Author of the card
- Creation date: 11/05/2008 by abdest