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.
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 1945-11-27 · Pughsville [now Suffolk], Virginia, USA
- Died
- 2013-12-31
Known for
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) — Sam
- The Blues Brothers (1980) — Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop
- The Prince of Egypt (1998) — Additional Voices (voice)
- Charmed (1998) — Zola
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) — Philip Banks
- Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) — Eldon
- That '70s Show (1998) — Officer Kennedy
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) — Preston Cash
- Spider-Man (1994) — Jim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)
- The A-Team (1983) — Quint
- Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) — General K'Vagh
- Raise Your Voice (2004) — Mr. Gantry
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) — Shredder (voice)
- Fletch (1985) — Detective #2
- Wish I Was Here (2014) — Audition Actor #2
- Gargoyles (1994) — The Shaman (voice)