James Avery

Acting

The MovieWise Take

Refining cinematic analysis...

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.

Known For

Grey's Anatomy

Sam

The Blues Brothers

Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop

The Prince of Egypt

Additional Voices (voice)

Charmed

Zola

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Philip Banks

Dr. Dolittle 2

Eldon

That '70s Show

Officer Kennedy

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Preston Cash

Full Filmography

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

Quick Facts

James Avery

The MovieWise Take

Biography

Known For

Full Filmography

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