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