James Avery

James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor.

Best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip Banks, Will Smith's character's uncle, in the TVsitcomThe 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 original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series, as well as War Machine in the animated series Iron Man and Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. He also played Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.

James Avery has built a filmography of 20 credits over a career spanning from 1980 to 2014.

James Avery's most notable role to date came in The Blues Brothers (1980), where he played Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop. He also appeared in The Prince of Egypt (1998) as Additional Voices (voice). Most recently appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) as Philip Banks.

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