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
- Sherri as Redmond
- Steppin: The Movie as The Chancellor
2008
- Eli Stone as Mason Andrews
- Divine Intervention as Rev. Matthews
2007
- Who's Your Caddy? as Caddy Mack
2006
- Danika as Teddy Johnson
- Think Tank as Uncle John
2005
- Grey's Anatomy as Sam
- The Closer as Dr. Crippen
- Living with Fran
- Spider-Man: The Venom Saga as Jim Rhodes / War Machine
- Wheelmen as Vice President
- The Third Wish as George
- Lethal Eviction as Gus Winter
2004
- Raise Your Voice as Mr. Gantry
- Hair Show as Seymour Gold
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 Proud Family as Crandall Smythe (voice)
- The Legend of Tarzan as Keewazi (voice)
- The Nightmare Room as R.L. Stine
- Philly as Dean Mark Clivner
- Dr. Dolittle 2 as Eldon
- Epoch as Dr. Solomon Holt
- Dancing in September as Mr. Warner
- Honeybee
- The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For as R.L. Stine
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Preston Cash
- Strong Medicine as Harold Jenkins
- Girlfriends as Dr. Couch
1999
- Family Law
- Out in Fifty as Cappy
1998
- Charmed as Zola
- That '70s Show as Officer Kennedy
- The Wild Thornberrys as Gorilla (voice)
- Two Guys and a Girl as Judge
- The Prince of Egypt as Additional Voices (voice)
- One World as William Richard
- You Lucky Dog as Calvin Bridges
- The Advanced Guard as Fred, Captive Security Guard
- 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
- Sparks as Alonzo Sparks
- Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys as Gor-illa (voice)
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
- Gargoyles as The Shaman (voice)
- Spider-Man as Jim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)
- Aladdin as Haroud Hazi Bin (voice)
- Duckman as School Policeman (voice)
- Iron Man as War Machine (voice)
- A Friend to Die For as Agent Gilwood
- Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die as Chess Player
- Midnight Ramble as Narrator
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)
- Roc as Dale Hammers
- Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time as Lt. Coberly
- Shout as Midnight Rider (voice)
- 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: Super Rocksteady and Mighty Bebop as Shredder (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga, Shredhead as Shredder (voice)
1989
- Family Matters as (uncredited)
- FM as Quentin Lamoreaux
- Roe vs. Wade
- Turn Back the Clock as Fred (uncredited)
- Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal as Earl
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking Turtles as Shredder (voice)
1988
- American Experience as Charles Hamilton Houston (voice)
- A Pup Named Scooby-Doo as Count Shockula (voice)
- License to Drive as Les' DMV examiner
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell as Shredder (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding Teenagers as Shredder (voice)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins as Shredder (voice)
1987
- A Different World as The Pin Punisher
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Shredder (voice)
- Beauty and the Beast as Winslow
- Nightflyers as Darryl
- Three for the Road as Clarence
- Timestalkers as Blacksmith
- Deadly Daphne's Revenge as Detective Wood
1986
- L.A. Law as Michael Conover
- The Real Ghostbusters as Killerwatt (voice)
- Rambo: The Force of Freedom
- The Ladies Club as Joe
- 8 Million Ways to Die as Deputy D.A.
- Extremities as Security Guard
- Condor as Cas
- Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story as Hank Dudney
- Sunday Drive as Oliver
- The 11th Commandment as Attendant
1985
- Moonlighting as Reuben King
- Amazing Stories as Chief Hansen
- Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling as (voice)
- Fletch as Detective #2
- Kicks as Stanley
- 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 Diner Patron (uncredited)
1978
- Dallas as Judge J. Fowler