James LaRue Avery was an American actor. He played patriarch and Judge Philip Banks in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This character was ranked #34 in TV Guide 's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time." He also provided the voice of Shredder in the 1987 Teenage Mutant...
November 27, 1945, Suffolk, Virginia, United States
Died
December 31, 2013, Glendale, California, United States
Place Of Birth
Suffolk
Height
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight
260 pounds
Profession
Actor, Voice Actor, Soldier
Education
University of California, San Diego
Nationality
United States of America
Spouse
Barbara Avery (m. 1988–2013)
Parents
Florence Avery
Nicknames
James Avery, Sr. , James L. Avery , James L. Avery, Sr.
Awards
Medal of Honor
Movies
The Prince of Egypt, License to Drive, Fletch, Raise Your Voice, Dr. Dolittle 2, A Friend to Die For, Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time, The Brady Bunch Movie, Who's Your Caddy?, Fist of the North Star, Spirit Lost, You Lucky Dog, Little Miss Millions, Timestalkers, The Colony, Deadly Daphne...
TV Shows
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, Rambo: The Force of Freedom, The Legend of Prince Valiant, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys, Sparks, Sherri, Going Bananas
Star Sign
Sagittarius
#
Trademark
1
Best known for his roles as Uncle Phil on _"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990)_ and Shredder on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
2
Towering height and broad frame
3
Deep, booming voice
4
Beard
5
Often plays characters in legal or high-level professional fields
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Quote
1
I don't understand this whole Twitter, Facebook stuff. I don't get it. Make a phone call. Talk to somebody.
2
Writing is such a singular and lonely occupation. And it's interesting; all of the work that you create is so singular.
3
I wanted to leave home, and I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do or what would happen. That's youth, though. Being fixated on things. I was fixated on being a writer.
4
Monetary success is not success. Career success is not success. Life, someone that loves you, giving to others, doing something that makes you feel complete and full. That is success. And it isn't dependent on anyone else.
5
You are only an actor if you absolutely love it and can not do anything else. Starving for your art is great in your 20s, but it's not so great at 35. It has to be absolute love. You can't worry about being a movie star or anything else. Just love. That's it.
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Fact
1
He was survived by his mother Florence Avery.
2
Upon his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean nearly Los Angeles area.
3
He died from complications of open heart surgery in Glendale Adventist Medical Center, on the evening of December 31, 2013. He had undergone surgery on November 11, 2013. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles, CA and in the Atlantic Ocean off Atlantic City, NJ.
4
Currently starring in a commercial promoting Kaplan University. [January 2009]
5
Was considered for the role of Charlie Altamont in The Devil's Rejects (2005).
6
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).
7
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].
8
Hobbies are: Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Sailing, and Swimming.