← Back

James Avery

James Avery

Born: 1945-11-27 • Pughsville [now Suffolk], Virginia, USA

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
Wish I Was Here poster
Wish I Was Here
2014 • Audition Actor #2
Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer poster
Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer
2013 • Judge Parsons
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film poster
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
2013 • Dr. Beckett
Stars in Shorts poster
Stars in Shorts
2012 • Haig
Not Your Time poster
Not Your Time
2010 • Haig
Steppin: The Movie poster
Steppin: The Movie
2009 • The Chancellor
Divine Intervention poster
Divine Intervention
2008 • Rev. Matthews
Who's Your Caddy? poster
Who's Your Caddy?
2007 • Caddy Mack
Danika poster
Danika
2006 • Teddy Johnson
Think Tank poster
Think Tank
2006 • Uncle John
Spider-Man: The Venom Saga poster
Spider-Man: The Venom Saga
2005 • Jim Rhodes / War Machine
Wheelmen poster
Wheelmen
2005 • Vice President
The Third Wish poster
The Third Wish
2005 • George
Lethal Eviction poster
Lethal Eviction
2005 • Gus Winter
Hair Show poster
Hair Show
2004 • Seymour Gold
Raise Your Voice poster
Raise Your Voice
2004 • Mr. Gantry
Nancy Drew poster
Nancy Drew
2002 • Prof. Shifflin
Epoch poster
Epoch
2001 • Dr. Solomon Holt
The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For poster
The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For
2001 • R.L. Stine
Dr. Dolittle 2 poster
Dr. Dolittle 2
2001 • Eldon
No Image
Honeybee
2001
Dancing in September poster
Dancing in September
2001 • Mr. Warner
Out in Fifty poster
Out in Fifty
1999 • Cappy
The Prince of Egypt poster
The Prince of Egypt
1998 • Additional Voices (voice)
You Lucky Dog poster
You Lucky Dog
1998 • Calvin Bridges
No Image
Quincy Jones...The First 50 Years
1998 • Self
The Advanced Guard poster
The Advanced Guard
1998 • Fred, Captive Security Guard
Spirit Lost poster
Spirit Lost
1997 • Dr. Glidden
Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale poster
Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale
1995 • The Headman
The Brady Bunch Movie poster
The Brady Bunch Movie
1995 • Mr. Steve Yeager
Midnight Ramble poster
Midnight Ramble
1994 • Narrator
A Friend to Die For poster
A Friend to Die For
1994 • Agent Gilwood
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die poster
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die
1994 • Chess Player
Little Miss Millions poster
Little Miss Millions
1993 • Agent Noah Hollander
Without Warning: Terror in the Towers poster
Without Warning: Terror in the Towers
1993 • Fred Derby
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome Easter poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome Easter
1992 • Shredder (voice)
Shout poster
Shout
1991 • Midnight Rider (voice)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids
1991 • Shredder (voice)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's Core poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's Core
1991 • Splinter (voice)
Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time poster
Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time
1991 • Lt. Coberly
The Linguini Incident poster
The Linguini Incident
1991 • Phil
No Image
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Big MACC
1991 • Shredder (voice)
To My Daughter poster
To My Daughter
1990 • Ian Mellon
No Image
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Rocksteady and Mighty Bebop
1990 • Shredder (voice)
No Image
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Shredhead
1990 • Shredder (voice)
Turn Back the Clock poster
Turn Back the Clock
1989 • Fred (uncredited)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking Turtles poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking Turtles
1989 • Shredder (voice)
Roe vs. Wade poster
Roe vs. Wade
1989
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal poster
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal
1989 • Earl
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins
1988 • Shredder (voice)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell
1988 • Shredder (voice)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding Teenagers poster
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding Teenagers
1988 • Shredder (voice)
License to Drive poster
License to Drive
1988 • Les' DMV examiner
Deadly Daphne's Revenge poster
Deadly Daphne's Revenge
1987 • Detective Wood
Nightflyers poster
Nightflyers
1987 • Darryl
Three for the Road poster
Three for the Road
1987 • Clarence
Timestalkers poster
Timestalkers
1987 • Blacksmith
Sunday Drive poster
Sunday Drive
1986 • Oliver
Extremities poster
Extremities
1986 • Security Guard
Condor poster
Condor
1986 • Cas
Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story poster
Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story
1986 • Hank Dudney
8 Million Ways to Die poster
8 Million Ways to Die
1986 • Deputy D.A.
The Ladies Club poster
The Ladies Club
1986 • Joe
The 11th Commandment poster
The 11th Commandment
1986 • Attendant
Appointment with Fear poster
Appointment with Fear
1985 • Connors
Stoogemania poster
Stoogemania
1985 • Gulch
Fletch poster
Fletch
1985 • Detective #2
Kicks poster
Kicks
1985 • Stanley
Laugh Busters poster
Laugh Busters
1984
Antony and Cleopatra poster
Antony and Cleopatra
1983 • Mardian
The Stunt Man poster
The Stunt Man
1980 • Man Playing Pinball (uncredited)
The Blues Brothers poster
The Blues Brothers
1980 • Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop