James Avery
Born: 1945-11-27 in Pughsville [now Suffolk], Virginia, USA
Died: 2013-12-31
Known For: Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography
2014
- Wish I Was Here as Audition Actor #2
2013
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Dr. Beckett
- Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer as Judge Parsons
2012
- Stars In Shorts as Haig
2011
- Harry's Law as Fred Billings
- The Problem Solverz as Ninja Master Head (voice)
2010
- Not Your Time as Haig
2009
- Steppin: The Movie as The Chancellor
- Sherri as Redmond
2008
- Eli Stone as Mason Andrews
- Divine Intervention as Rev. Matthews
2007
- Who's Your Caddy? as Caddy Mack
2006
- Think Tank as Uncle John
- Danika as Teddy Johnson
2005
- Grey's Anatomy as Sam
- The Closer as Dr. Crippen
- Living with Fran
- Lethal Eviction as Gus Winter
- Wheelmen as Vice President
- Spider-Man: The Venom Saga as Jim Rhodes / War Machine
- The Third Wish as George
2004
- Hair Show as Seymour Gold
- Raise Your Voice as Mr. Gantry
2003
- That's So Raven as Presto Jones
2002
- Nancy Drew as Prof. Shifflin
2001
- Star Trek: Enterprise as General K'Vagh
- Crossing Jordan as Dr. Erkhart
- Reba as Judge Samuel Bennett
- The Division as Charles Haysbert
- The Legend of Tarzan as Keewazi (voice)
- The Proud Family as Crandall Smythe (voice)
- Dr. Dolittle 2 as Eldon
- The Nightmare Room as R.L. Stine
- Epoch as Dr. Solomon Holt
- Philly as Dean Mark Clivner
- Dancing in September as Mr. Warner
- The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For as R.L. Stine
- Honeybee
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Preston Cash
- Girlfriends as Dr. Couch
- Strong Medicine as Harold Jenkins
1999
- Family Law
- Out in Fifty as Cappy
1998
- Charmed as Zola
- That '70s Show as Officer Kennedy
- The Wild Thornberrys as Gorilla (voice)
- The Prince of Egypt as Additional Voices (voice)
- Two Guys and a Girl as Judge
- The Advanced Guard as Fred, Captive Security Guard
- You Lucky Dog as Calvin Bridges
- One World as William Richard
- Quincy Jones...The First 50 Years as Self
1997
- Spirit Lost as Dr. Glidden
- Going Places as Host
1996
- The Jamie Foxx Show as Reverend
- Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys as Gor-illa (voice)
- Sparks as Alonzo Sparks
1995
- Murder One as Judge Nathaniel Alexander
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Father (voice)
- The Brady Bunch Movie as Mr. Steve Yeager
- Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale as The Headman
1994
- Spider-Man as Jim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)
- Gargoyles as The Shaman (voice)
- Aladdin as Haroud Hazi Bin (voice)
- Duckman as School Policeman (voice)
- Midnight Ramble as Narrator
- Iron Man as War Machine (voice)
- Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die as Chess Player
- A Friend to Die For as Agent Gilwood
1993
- Without Warning: Terror in the Towers as Fred Derby
- Little Miss Millions as Agent Noah Hollander
1992
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome Easter as Shredder (voice)
1991
- The Legend of Prince Valiant as Sir Bryant (voice)
- Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time as Lt. Coberly
- Shout as Midnight Rider (voice)
- Roc as Dale Hammers
- The Linguini Incident as Phil
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids as Shredder (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's Core as Splinter (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Big MACC as Shredder (voice)
1990
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Philip Banks
- Capital News as Mr. Fairchild
- To My Daughter as Ian Mellon
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Shredhead as Shredder (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Rocksteady and Mighty Bebop as Shredder (voice)
1989
- Family Matters as (uncredited)
- Turn Back the Clock as Fred (uncredited)
- FM as Quentin Lamoreaux
- Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal as Earl
- Roe vs. Wade
1988
- American Experience as Charles Hamilton Houston (voice)
- A Pup Named Scooby-Doo as Count Shockula (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins as Shredder (voice)
- License to Drive as Les' DMV examiner
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell as Shredder (voice)
1987
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Shredder (voice)
- A Different World as The Pin Punisher
- Timestalkers as Blacksmith
- Nightflyers as Darryl
- Three for the Road as Clarence
- Deadly Daphne's Revenge as Detective Wood
1986
- L.A. Law as Judge Michael Conover
- The Real Ghostbusters as Killerwatt (voice)
- Sunday Drive as Oliver
- Rambo: The Force of Freedom
- Condor as Cas
- Extremities as Security Guard
- The 11th Commandment as Attendant
- The Ladies Club as Joe
- 8 Million Ways to Die as Deputy D.A.
- Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story as Hank Dudney
1985
- Moonlighting as Reuben King
- Amazing Stories as Chief Hansen
- Fletch as Detective #2
- Kicks as Stanley
- Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling as (voice)
- Stoogemania as Gulch
- Appointment with Fear as Connors
1984
- Night Court as Judge Hopkins
- Brothers as Bubba
- Going Bananas as Hank
- Laugh Busters
1983
- The A-Team as Quint
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Antony and Cleopatra as Mardian
1982
- St. Elsewhere as Man in E.R.
- Newhart as Construction Worker
1980
- The Blues Brothers as Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop
- The Stunt Man as Man Playing Pinball (uncredited)
1978
- Dallas as Judge J. Fowler