James Avery (actor)

Infobox Actor

---

name = James Avery
birthdate = birth date and age|1948|11|27
birthname = James L. Avery
location = Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
occupation = Actor
notable role = Philip Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", Shredder in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
academyaward =
spouse = Barbara Avery (1988-Present)

James L. Avery, Sr. (born November 27, 1948), is a American TV actor best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip Banks in the TV show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", whom Will Smith's character affectionately called "Uncle Phil". 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.

Biography

Early life

Avery joined the United States Navy shortly after high school graduation and served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969. [ [http://www.thehistorymakers.com/programs/dvl/files/Avery_Jamesf.html The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with James Avery ] ] After he left the military, Avery moved to San Diego and began writing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. He won an Emmy Award for his production during his term at PBS and was awarded a scholarship to University of California, San Diego. Avery earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater and Literature at the university and graduated in 1976. [ [http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/events/avery07.asp Actor James Avery to Speak on From Slavery to Freedom Feb. 24 at UCSD as Part of Black History Month Activities ] ]

Career

In addition to his fame in sitcoms, he did voice acting for many animated series, most notably the 1987 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series (as the voice of The Shredder, and credited as James Avery) and James Rhodes in the 1990s "Iron Man" series. He has been the primary host of "Going Places", a popular travel and adventure series on PBS. He also guest starred in "That '70s Show" as Officer Kennedy. In 2000, he guest starred in the "Unfriendly Skies" episode of "" as Preston Cash, a legally-blind witness to a murder who assists the CSI team with a near-flawless verbal account of what he heard onboard the flight. Avery recently played a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Dr. Crippen, (who has recently appeared in a wheelchair), on the TNT series "The Closer". In 2004, he guest starred on the television series "That's So Raven" where he played an entrepreneur.

Personal life

Avery's wife Barbara, whom he married in 1988, is the Dean of Students at Occidental College in California. He has one stepson and two foster children. [ [http://www.thehistorymakers.com/programs/dvl/files/Avery_Jamesf.html The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with James Avery ] ]

He is frequently mistaken for fellow actor Reginald VelJohnson and vice versa, a joke that was played out on episodes of VelJohnson's sitcom "Family Matters" as well as "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".

Filmography

Television

ee also

References

External links

*voice actor|id=1038|name=James Avery
*imdb name|id=0043041|name=James Avery
*amg name|2:2951|James Avery
*tvtome person|id=4444|name=James Avery
* [http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=434&category=EntertainmentMakers&occupation=Actor&name=James%20Avery The HistoryMakers] Biography, photos and video clips