James Avery
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James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor, comedian, voice over artist and poet. A prolific television actor, he is best remembered for his portrayal of patriarch “Uncle Phil” Banks in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. His voice acting work was mostly in animated series.

Avery was born in Pughsville, Virginia on November 27, 1945 and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1969, after graduating high school. Later on, he moved to San Diego, California, where he began to write poetry and TV scripts for PBS.

He won an Emmy for production during his tenure there and then received a scholarship to UC San Diego, where he attended Thurgood Marshall College (then Third College), earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and literature in 1976.

Avery began his career in the 1980s with appearances in television series such as Amen, FM and L.A. Law. In the 1990s, he achieved prominence for his role as Phillip Banks (Uncle Phil) in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a character that was ranked #34 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time." He played the lead role of Alonzo Sparks in the comedy series Sparks that lasted for two seasons. Other notable roles in television included Dr. Crippen in The Closer, Charles Haysbert in The Division and Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.