James Avery
Known for acting · Born 27 November 1945 · Died 31 December 2013 · aged 68 · Pughsville [now Suffolk], Virginia, USA
135 credits
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
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
1987
Rambo: The Force of Freedom
1986
The Legend of Prince Valiant
1991
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling
1985
Iron Man
1994
The Closer
2005
Sparks
1996
Who's Your Caddy?
2007
Dr. Dolittle 2
2001
A Friend to Die For
1994
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys
1996
Acting (135)
2014Wish I Was HereAudition Actor #2Film
2014Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesSelfFilm
2013Call Me Crazy: A Five FilmDr. BeckettFilm
2013Hunt for the Labyrinth KillerJudge ParsonsFilm
2012Stars in ShortsHaigFilm
2011Harry's LawFred BillingsSeries
2011The Problem SolverzNinja Master Head (voice)Series
2010Not Your TimeHaigFilm
2009Steppin: The MovieThe ChancellorFilm
2009SherriRedmond · 13 episodesSeries
2008Eli StoneMason AndrewsSeries
2008Divine InterventionRev. MatthewsFilm
2007Who's Your Caddy?Caddy MackFilm
2006DanikaTeddy JohnsonFilm
2006Think TankUncle JohnFilm
2005Grey's AnatomySamSeries
2005The CloserDr. Crippen · 11 episodesSeries
2005Spider-Man: The Venom SagaJim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)Film
2005Living with FranSeries
2005Lethal EvictionGus WinterFilm
2005The Third WishGeorgeFilm
2005WheelmenVice PresidentFilm
2004Raise Your VoiceMr. GantryFilm
2004Hair ShowSeymour GoldFilm
2003That's So RavenPresto JonesSeries
2002Nancy DrewProf. ShifflinFilm
2001Dr. Dolittle 2EldonFilm
2001Star Trek: EnterpriseGeneral K'Vagh · 2 episodesSeries
2001Crossing JordanDr. ErkhartSeries
2001The Proud FamilyCrandall Smythe (voice)Series
2001RebaJudge Samuel BennettSeries
2001The Legend of Tarzan(voice), Keewazi (voice) · 3 episodesSeries
2001EpochDr. Solomon HoltFilm
2001The Nightmare RoomR.L. Stine · 13 episodesSeries
2001The DivisionCharles Haysbert · 9 episodesSeries
2001PhillyDean Mark ClivnerSeries
2001HoneybeeFilm
2001Dancing in SeptemberMr. WarnerFilm
2001The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish ForR.L. StineFilm
2000CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationPreston CashSeries
2000GirlfriendsDr. CouchSeries
2000Strong MedicineHarold JenkinsSeries
1999Family LawSeries
1999Out in FiftyCappyFilm
1998The Prince of EgyptAdditional Voices (voice)Film
1998CharmedZolaSeries
1998That '70s ShowOfficer Kennedy · 3 episodesSeries
1998The Wild ThornberrysGorilla (voice)Series
1998Two Guys and a GirlJudgeSeries
1998You Lucky DogCalvin BridgesFilm
1998The Advanced GuardFred, Captive Security GuardFilm
1998One WorldWilliam RichardSeries
1998Quincy Jones... The First 50 YearsSelfFilm
1997Spirit LostDr. GliddenFilm
1997Going PlacesHost · 19 episodesSeries
1996Quack PackFlint Steel (voice)Series
1996The Jamie Foxx ShowReverendSeries
1996Captain Simian & the Space MonkeysGor-illa (voice) · 26 episodesSeries
1996SparksAlonzo Sparks · 40 episodesSeries
1995The Brady Bunch MovieMr. Steve YeagerFilm
1995Murder OneJudge Nathaniel AlexanderSeries
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildFather (voice)Series
1995Jirimpimbira: An African Folk TaleThe HeadmanFilm
1994Spider-ManJim Rhodes / War Machine (voice) · 2 episodesSeries
1994GargoylesThe Shaman (voice)Series
1994AladdinHaroud Hazi Bin (voice) · 4 episodesSeries
1994Iron ManWar Machine (voice) · 13 episodesSeries
1994DuckmanSchool Policeman (voice), 'Beware!' Guy (voice)Series
1994A Friend to Die ForAgent GilwoodFilm
1994Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never DieChess PlayerFilm
1994Midnight RambleNarratorFilm
1993Little Miss MillionsAgent Noah HollanderFilm
1993Without Warning: Terror in the TowersFred DerbyFilm
1992Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome EasterShredder (voice)Film
1991Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of TimeLt. CoberlyFilm
1991ShoutMidnight Rider (voice)Film
1991The Linguini IncidentPhilFilm
1991The Legend of Prince ValiantSir Bryant (voice) · 65 episodesSeries
1991RocDale HammersSeries
1991Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the TurtleoidsShredder (voice)Film
1991Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's CoreSplinter (voice)Film
1991Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Big MACCShredder (voice)Film
1990The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirPhilip Banks · 148 episodesSeries
1990Capital NewsMr. FairchildSeries
1990To My DaughterIan MellonFilm
1990Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga, ShredheadShredder (voice)Film
1990Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Rocksteady and Mighty BebopShredder (voice)Film
1989Family Matters(uncredited)Series
1989Roe vs. WadeFilm
1989Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes ScandalEarlFilm
1989Turn Back the ClockFred (uncredited)Film
1989FMQuentin Lamoreaux · 13 episodesSeries
1989Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking TurtlesShredder (voice)Film
1988License to DriveLes' DMV examinerFilm
1988A Pup Named Scooby-DooCount Shockula (voice)Series
1988American ExperienceCharles Hamilton Houston (voice), Narrator (voice)Series
1988Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic BeginsShredder (voice)Film
1988Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a HalfshellShredder (voice)Film
1988Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding TeenagersShredder (voice)Film
1987Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesShredder (voice) · 169 episodesSeries
1987Beauty and the BeastWinslow · 3 episodesSeries
1987A Different WorldThe Pin PunisherSeries
1987TimestalkersBlacksmithFilm
1987Three for the RoadClarenceFilm
1987NightflyersDarrylFilm
1987Deadly Daphne's RevengeDetective WoodFilm
1986The Real GhostbustersKillerwatt (voice), Giant / Gingerbread House / White Rabbit (voice), Judge / Booming Voice / Jurors (voice)Series
19868 Million Ways to DieDeputy D.A.Film
1986ExtremitiesSecurity GuardFilm
1986L.A. LawJudge Michael Conover · 6 episodesSeries
1986Rambo: The Force of Freedom · 65 episodesSeries
1986The 11th CommandmentAttendantFilm
1986The Ladies ClubJoeFilm
1986CondorCasFilm
1986Sunday DriveOliverFilm
1986Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder StoryHank DudneyFilm
1985FletchDetective #2Film
1985MoonlightingReuben KingSeries
1985Amazing StoriesChief HansenSeries
1985Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling(voice) · 41 episodesSeries
1985Appointment with FearConnorsFilm
1985StoogemaniaGulchFilm
1985KicksStanleyFilm
1984Night CourtJudge HopkinsSeries
1984BrothersBubbaSeries
1984Going BananasHank · 12 episodesSeries
1984Laugh BustersFilm
1983The A-TeamQuintSeries
1983Reading RainbowSelf - Narrator (voice) · 2 episodesSeries
1983Antony and CleopatraMardianFilm
1982St. ElsewhereMan in E.R.Series
1982NewhartConstruction WorkerSeries
1980The Blues BrothersMan Dancing Outside Ray's ShopFilm
1980The Stunt ManDiner Patron (uncredited)Film
1978DallasJudge J. FowlerSeries