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James Avery

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For other people named James Avery, see James Avery (disambiguation).
James Avery
Born
James L. Avery
Occupation(s)Actor, Voice Actor
SpouseBarbara Avery (1988–Present)

James L. Avery, Sr. (born November 27, 1948), is an 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, as well as War Machine in Iron Man, Iron Man animated series. He also played Michael Kelso's officer at the police academy late in the series run of the popular sitcom That '70s Show.

Early life

James was born in Atlantic City. Avery joined the United States Navy shortly after high school graduation and served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969.[1] 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.[2]

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 CSI 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. He also appeared in a 2005 episode of My Wife and Kids as Jay's reluctant professor.

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.[1]

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 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[citation needed]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1980 The Blues Brothers Man Dancing Uncredited Role
The Stunt Man Uncredited Role
1985 Fletch Detective #2
Appointment With Fear Connors
1986 Fist of the North Star Fang Voice Role
The Eleventh Commandment Larry
8 Million Ways to Die Deputy D.A.
The Ladies Club Joe
Stoogemania Gulch
Extremities Security Guard
1987 Deadly Daphne's Revenge Det. Wood
Three for the Road Clarence
Nightflyers Darryl
1987–1994 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder Voice Role
103 episodes
1988 License to Drive Les' DMV Examiner
1991 The Linguini Incident Phil
Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time Lt. Coberly
Shout Midnight Rider Voice Role
1993 Little Miss Millions Agent Noah Hollander
1995 The Brady Bunch Movie Mr. Steve Yeager
1997 Spirit Lost Dr. Glidden
1998 12 Bucks Slow
The Prince of Egypt Additional Voices Voice Role
1999 After Romeo
Out in Fifty Cappy
2000 Dancing in September Mr. Warner
2001 Chasing Sunsets Mr. Burken
Honeybee Larry Dukes
Dr. Dolittle 2 Eldon
2002 Wheelmen Vice President
2004 Raise Your Voice Mr. Gantry
Hair Show Seymour Gold
2005 Lethal Eviction Gus
The Third Wish George
A Christmas Wish Saint Short film
2006 Restraining Order Judge Sanderson
Think Tank Uncle John
Danika Teddy Johnson
2007 Who's Your Caddy? Caddy Mack
Divine Intervention Rev. Matthews
2008 His Good Will Mr. Cooper Short film
Leave with It Dr. Leon Short film
2009 Steppin: The Movie The Chancellor
Let the Game Begin Mark Hanley awaiting release
2010 Stride George post-production
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1983 Antony and Cleopatra Mardian TV-Movie
Tales of the Gold Monkey Gabriel Episode: "God Save the Queen"
Newhart Construction Guy Episode: "Heaven Knows Mr. Utley"
The Jeffersons Coleman "Episode: Father Christmas"
1983, 1984 Simon & Simon Huey
Roy 		Episode: "Red Dog Blues"
Episode: "Harm's Way"
1984 Hill Street Blues Tolliver "Episode: Ratman and Bobbin"
"Episode: Nichols from Heaven"
"Episode: Fuchs Me? Fuchs You!"
Legmen No Neck Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released"
Hardcastle and McCormick Episode: "Scared Stiff"
Going Bananas Hank
Webster Judge Episode: "Webster Long (2)"
Fist of the North Star Fang Voice Role
The Dukes of Hazzard Charlie Episode: "Cool Hands, Luke & Bo"
1984, 1985 Brothers Bubba Dean Episode: "You Brought A New Kind of Love To Me"
Episode: "The Strangers"
1985 Street Hawk Councilman Waters Episode: "Street Hawk" (Pilot)
St. Elsewhere Mental Patient Episode: "Give the Boy a Hand"
Cagney & Lacey Episode: "Who Says It's Fair" (1)
Kicks Stanley ABC TV-Movie
Space Jean-Marie CBS Miniseries
Scarecrow and Mrs. King Nabuti Episode: "Murder Between Friends"
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling Junkyard Dog Voice Role
George Burns Comedy Week Episode: "The Assignment"
The A-Team Episode: "The Heart of Rock n' Roll"
Moonlighting Reuben King Episode: "Twas the Episode Before Christmas"
1986 Karate Kommandos Additional Voices Voice Role
Amazing Stories Chief Hansen Episode: "Hell Toupee"
Rambo and the Forces of Freedom Turbo Voice Role
Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Movie Hank Dudney TV-Movie
Condor Cas ABC TV-Movie
Sunday Drive Oliver ABC TV-Movie
1986, 1989 The Real Ghostbusters Killerwatt
Additional Voices
Judge 		Voice Role
Episode: "Killerwatt"/Episode: "Partners in Slime"
Episode: "Jailbusters"
1986, 1988, 1989 Amen Arnie Samples
Rev. Crawford 		5 episodes
1987 Jake's M.O. Abel Barnes Unsold TV-Pilot/NBC TV-Movie
Timestalkers Blacksmith CBS TV-Movie
Jake and the Fatman Episode: Fatal Attraction
1987, 1989 Valerie Judge N. Keller
Mr. Erdman 		Episode: "Hogan vs. Hogan"
Episode: "License to Drive"
1988 Dallas Judge Fowler Episode: "Malice in Dallas"
Beauty and the Beast Winslow
227 Jo-Jo Episode: "My Aching Back"
Heart and Soul Harlan Sinclair NBC TV-Pilot
1988–1992 L.A. Law Judge Michael Conover 9 episodes
1989 Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal Earl NBC TV-Movie
Roe vs. Wade NBC TV-Movie
FM Quentin Lamoreaux
A Different World The Pin Punisher Episode: "To Have and Have Not"
Turn Back the Clock Physical Therapist NBC TV-Movie
1990 Night Court Judge Hopkins Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" (1)
Capital News Episode: Pilot
To My Daughter NBC TV-Movie
1990–1996 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Philip Banks 141 episodes
1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids Shredder Voice Role
CBS TV-Movie
The Legend of Prince Valiant Sir Bryant Voice Role
9 episodes
1992 Roc Dale Hammers Episode: "The Car Accident from Heaven"
1993 Without Warning: Terror in the Towers Fred Ferby NBC TV-Movie
1993, 1994 American Experience Charles Hamilton Houston
Narrator 		Episode: "Simple Justice"
Episode: "Midnight Ramble"
1994 Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die Chess Player NBC TV-Movie
A Friend to Die For Agent Gilwood NBC TV-Movie
Aladdin Haroud Hazi Bin Voice Role
9 episodes
1994–1995 Iron Man War Machine Voice Role
7 episodes
1994, 1996 Duckman Voice Role
Episode: "It's the Thing of the Principal"
Episode: "The Road to Dendron"
1995 ABC Weekend Special Headman Voice Role
Episode: "Jirimpimbira - An African Folk Tale"
Murder One Judge Nathaniel Alexander Episode: "Chapter Five"
1996 Gargoyles The Shaman Voice Role
Episode: "Walk About"
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys Gor-illa/Gor Voice Role
26 episodes
Spider-Man War Machine Voice Role
Episode: "Sins of the Fathers Chapter 10 - Venom Returns"
Episode: "Sins of the Fathers Chapter 11 - Carnage"
1996–1998 Sparks Alonzo Sparks 40 episodes
1996, 1998 In the House Mediator
Sampson Stanton 		Episode: "Love on a One-Way Street"
Episode: "My Pest Friend's Wedding"
1997 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Father Voice Role
Episode: "The Golden Goose"
Extreme Ghostbusters Danny Voice Role
Episode: "Dry Spell"
1998 The Advanced Guard Fred Sci Fi Channel TV-Movie
You Lucky Dog Calvin Disney Channel TV-Movie
The Wild Thornberrys Gorilla Voice Role
Episode: "Valley Girls"
1999 Vengeance Unlimited Judge Christopher Washington Episode: "Legalese"
King's Pawn Cecil TV-Pilot
For Your Love Rev. Hicks Episode: "Mother Load"
Family Law Episode: "Damages"
1999, 2000 Pepper Ann Mr. Clapper Episode: "Beyond Good and Evel..."
Episode: "Unhappy Campers..."
Episode: "The Finale"
2000 Bull Prof. Gilbert Granville Episode: "What the Past Will Bring"
One World William Richard Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Preston Cash Episode: "Unfriendly Skies"
Two Guys and a Girl Judge Episode: "Rescue Me"
2000, 2002 Dharma & Greg Walter Episode: "Love, Honor & Olé!"
Episode: "Mission - Implausible"
2001 Epoch Dr. Solomon Holt Sci Fi Channel TV-Movie
The Jamie Foxx Show Reverend Episode: "Always and Forever"
Strong Medicine Harold Jenkins Episode: "Wednesday Night Fever"
The Legend of Tarzan Chief Keewazi Voice Role
Episode: "Tarzan and the Poisoned River" (1)
Episode: "Tarzan and the Poisoned River" (2)
Episode: "Tarzan and the Eagle's Feather"
The Proud Family Crandall Smythe Voice Role
Episode: "Spelling Bee"
2001, 2002, 2003 Soul Food Walter Carter Episode: "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Episode: "Life Lessons"
Episode: "This Must Be Love"
Episode: "All Together Alone"
2002 Philly Dean Mark Clivner Episode: "Here Comes the Judge"
Judging Amy Mr. Ruff Episode: "Damage Control"
Nancy Drew Prof. Shifflin TV-Movie
2002–2003 The Division Charles Haysbert 9 episodes
2003 Reba Judge Samuel Bennett Episode: "The Feud"
Crossing Jordan Dr. Erkhart Episode: "Conspiracy"
Street Smarts Contestant Episode: "May 16, 2003"
All About the Andersons Roscoe Episode: "Flo's Dream"
2003, 2004 All of Us Lucas Episode: "I Saw Tia Kissing Santa Claus"
Episode: "Parents Just Don't Understand"
2004 That '70s Show Officer Kennedy Episode: "Young Man Blues"
Episode: "A Legal Matter"
Episode: "Happy Jack"
Charmed Zola Episode: "A Call to Arms"
NYPD Blue Steve Pines Episode: "Great Balls or Ire"
Girlfriends Dr. Couch Episode: "Maybe Baby"
That's So Raven Presto Jones Episode: "Opportunity Shocks"
2005–2007 The Closer Dr. Crippen 11 episodes
2005 My Wife and Kids Professor Tillman Episode: "Study Buddy"
Star Trek: Enterprise General K'Vagh Episode: "Affliction"
Episode: "Divergence"
Living With Fran Mr. Bryant Episode: "Learning with Fran"
2006 Take 3 Judge Sanderson Episode: "Study Buddy"
2008 Eli Stone Mason Andrews Episode: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
Video Games
Year Title Role Notes
1989 Splash Mountain Br'er Frog
1995 Animated Storybook: The Lion King Scar

See also

References

  1. ^ a b The HistoryMakers Video Oral History Interview with James Avery
  2. ^ Actor James Avery to Speak on From Slavery to Freedom February 21 at UCSD as Part of Black History Month Activities

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