Actor profile

James Avery

27th November 1945 Pughsville [now Suffolk], Virginia, USA Acting

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.

72 Movies 61 TV Shows 133 Credits

Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

Wish I Was Here poster

Wish I Was Here 18th July 2014 as Audition Actor #2

Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer poster

Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer 3rd August 2013 as Judge Parsons

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film poster

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film 20th April 2013 as Dr. Beckett

Stars in Shorts poster

Stars in Shorts 28th September 2012 as Haig

Not Your Time poster

Not Your Time 24th September 2010 as Haig

Steppin: The Movie poster

Steppin: The Movie 19th May 2009 as The Chancellor

Divine Intervention poster

Divine Intervention 25th March 2008 as Rev. Matthews

Who's Your Caddy? poster

Who's Your Caddy? 27th July 2007 as Caddy Mack

Danika poster

Danika 10th June 2006 as Teddy Johnson

Think Tank poster

Think Tank 21st April 2006 as Uncle John

Spider-Man: The Venom Saga poster

Spider-Man: The Venom Saga 7th June 2005 as Jim Rhodes / War Machine

Wheelmen poster

Wheelmen 3rd June 2005 as Vice President

The Third Wish poster

The Third Wish 22nd April 2005 as George

Lethal Eviction poster

Lethal Eviction 10th March 2005 as Gus Winter

Hair Show poster

Hair Show 17th October 2004 as Seymour Gold

Raise Your Voice poster

Raise Your Voice 10th August 2004 as Mr. Gantry

Nancy Drew poster

Nancy Drew 15th December 2002 as Prof. Shifflin

Epoch poster

Epoch 24th November 2001 as Dr. Solomon Holt

The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For poster

The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish For 31st August 2001 as R.L. Stine

Dr. Dolittle 2 poster

Dr. Dolittle 2 22nd June 2001 as Eldon

Honeybee 12th June 2001

Dancing in September poster

Dancing in September 3rd February 2001 as Mr. Warner

Out in Fifty poster

Out in Fifty 22nd June 1999 as Cappy

The Prince of Egypt poster

The Prince of Egypt 16th December 1998 as Additional Voices (voice)

You Lucky Dog poster

You Lucky Dog 27th June 1998 as Calvin Bridges

Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years poster

Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years 11th April 1998 as Self

The Advanced Guard poster

The Advanced Guard 21st March 1998 as Fred, Captive Security Guard

Spirit Lost poster

Spirit Lost 24th March 1997 as Dr. Glidden

Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale poster

Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale 25th February 1995 as The Headman

The Brady Bunch Movie poster

The Brady Bunch Movie 16th February 1995 as Mr. Steve Yeager

Midnight Ramble poster

Midnight Ramble 26th October 1994 as Narrator

A Friend to Die For poster

A Friend to Die For 24th September 1994 as Agent Gilwood

Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die poster

Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die 6th May 1994 as Chess Player

Little Miss Millions poster

Little Miss Millions 27th November 1993 as Agent Noah Hollander

Without Warning: Terror in the Towers poster

Without Warning: Terror in the Towers 26th May 1993 as Fred Derby

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome Easter poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome Easter 4th March 1992 as Shredder (voice)

Shout poster

Shout 4th October 1991 as Midnight Rider (voice)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the Turtleoids 31st August 1991 as Shredder (voice)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's Core poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's Core 15th August 1991 as Splinter (voice)

Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time poster

Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time 8th June 1991 as Lt. Coberly

The Linguini Incident poster

The Linguini Incident 1st May 1991 as Phil

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Big MACC 10th January 1991 as Shredder (voice)

To My Daughter poster

To My Daughter 26th November 1990 as Ian Mellon

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Rocksteady and Mighty Bebop 20th June 1990 as Shredder (voice)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga, Shredhead 15th March 1990 as Shredder (voice)

Turn Back the Clock poster

Turn Back the Clock 20th November 1989 as Fred (uncredited)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking Turtles poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking Turtles 5th October 1989 as Shredder (voice)

Roe vs. Wade poster

Roe vs. Wade 15th May 1989

Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal poster

Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal 5th February 1989 as Earl

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic Begins 11th November 1988 as Shredder (voice)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Halfshell 11th August 1988 as Shredder (voice)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding Teenagers poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding Teenagers 11th August 1988 as Shredder (voice)

License to Drive poster

License to Drive 6th July 1988 as Les' DMV examiner

Deadly Daphne's Revenge poster

Deadly Daphne's Revenge 1st November 1987 as Detective Wood

Nightflyers poster

Nightflyers 23rd October 1987 as Darryl

Three for the Road poster

Three for the Road 10th April 1987 as Clarence

Timestalkers poster

Timestalkers 10th March 1987 as Blacksmith

Sunday Drive poster

Sunday Drive 30th November 1986 as Oliver

Extremities poster

Extremities 22nd August 1986 as Security Guard

Condor poster

Condor 10th August 1986 as Cas

Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story poster

Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story 19th May 1986 as Hank Dudney

8 Million Ways to Die poster

8 Million Ways to Die 25th April 1986 as Deputy D.A.

The Ladies Club poster

The Ladies Club 1st April 1986 as Joe

The 11th Commandment poster

The 11th Commandment 25th March 1986 as Attendant

Appointment with Fear poster

Appointment with Fear 25th October 1985 as Connors

Stoogemania poster

Stoogemania 18th October 1985 as Gulch

Fletch poster

Fletch 31st May 1985 as Detective #2

Kicks poster

Kicks 11th March 1985 as Stanley

Laugh Busters poster

Laugh Busters 1st September 1984

Antony and Cleopatra poster

Antony and Cleopatra 1st January 1983 as Mardian

The Stunt Man poster

The Stunt Man 27th June 1980 as Diner Patron (uncredited)

The Blues Brothers poster

The Blues Brothers 16th June 1980 as Man Dancing Outside Ray's Shop

The Problem Solverz poster

The Problem Solverz 4th April 2011 as Ninja Master Head (voice)

Harry's Law poster

Harry's Law 17th January 2011 as Fred Billings

Sherri poster

Sherri 5th October 2009 as Redmond

Eli Stone poster

Eli Stone 31st January 2008 as Mason Andrews

The Closer poster

The Closer 13th June 2005 as Dr. Crippen

Living with Fran poster

Living with Fran 8th April 2005

Grey's Anatomy poster

Grey's Anatomy 27th March 2005 as Sam

That's So Raven poster

That's So Raven 17th January 2003 as Presto Jones

Reba poster

Reba 5th October 2001 as Judge Samuel Bennett

Star Trek: Enterprise poster

Star Trek: Enterprise 26th September 2001 as General K'Vagh

Philly poster

Philly 25th September 2001 as Dean Mark Clivner

Crossing Jordan poster

Crossing Jordan 24th September 2001 as Dr. Erkhart

The Proud Family poster

The Proud Family 15th September 2001 as Crandall Smythe (voice)

The Legend of Tarzan poster

The Legend of Tarzan 3rd September 2001 as Keewazi (voice)

The Nightmare Room poster

The Nightmare Room 31st August 2001 as R.L. Stine

The Division poster

The Division 7th January 2001 as Charles Haysbert

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation poster

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 6th October 2000 as Preston Cash

Girlfriends poster

Girlfriends 11th September 2000 as Dr. Couch

Strong Medicine poster

Strong Medicine 23rd July 2000 as Harold Jenkins

Family Law poster

Family Law 20th September 1999

Charmed poster

Charmed 7th October 1998 as Zola

One World poster

One World 12th September 1998 as William Richard

The Wild Thornberrys poster

The Wild Thornberrys 1st September 1998 as Gorilla (voice)

That '70s Show poster

That '70s Show 23rd August 1998 as Officer Kennedy

Two Guys and a Girl poster

Two Guys and a Girl 10th March 1998 as Judge

Going Places 3rd January 1997 as Host

Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys poster

Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys 7th September 1996 as Gor-illa (voice)

The Jamie Foxx Show poster

The Jamie Foxx Show 28th August 1996 as Reverend

Sparks poster

Sparks 26th August 1996 as Alonzo Sparks

Murder One poster

Murder One 20th September 1995 as Judge Nathaniel Alexander

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child poster

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child 12th March 1995 as Father (voice)

Spider-Man poster

Spider-Man 19th November 1994 as Jim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)

Gargoyles poster

Gargoyles 24th October 1994 as The Shaman (voice)

Iron Man poster

Iron Man 24th September 1994 as War Machine (voice)

Duckman poster

Duckman 5th March 1994 as 'Beware!' Guy (voice)

Aladdin poster

Aladdin 6th February 1994 as Haroud Hazi Bin (voice)

The Legend of Prince Valiant poster

The Legend of Prince Valiant 3rd September 1991 as Sir Bryant (voice)

Roc poster

Roc 25th August 1991 as Dale Hammers

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air poster

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 10th September 1990 as Philip Banks

Capital News poster

Capital News 9th April 1990 as Mr. Fairchild

Family Matters poster

Family Matters 22nd September 1989 as (uncredited)

FM poster

FM 17th August 1989 as Quentin Lamoreaux

American Experience poster

American Experience 4th October 1988 as Narrator (voice)

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo poster

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 10th September 1988 as Count Shockula (voice)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 14th December 1987 as Shredder (voice)

Beauty and the Beast poster

Beauty and the Beast 25th September 1987 as Winslow

A Different World poster

A Different World 24th September 1987 as The Pin Punisher

L.A. Law poster

L.A. Law 15th September 1986 as Judge Michael Conover

The Real Ghostbusters poster

The Real Ghostbusters 13th September 1986 as Judge / Booming Voice / Jurors (voice)

Rambo: The Force of Freedom poster

Rambo: The Force of Freedom 14th April 1986

Amazing Stories poster

Amazing Stories 29th September 1985 as Chief Hansen

Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling poster

Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling 14th September 1985 as (voice)

Moonlighting poster

Moonlighting 3rd March 1985 as Reuben King

Going Bananas poster

Going Bananas 15th September 1984 as Hank

Brothers poster

Brothers 13th July 1984 as Bubba

Night Court poster

Night Court 4th January 1984 as Judge Hopkins

Reading Rainbow poster

Reading Rainbow 6th June 1983 as Self - Narrator (voice)

The A-Team poster

The A-Team 23rd January 1983 as Quint

St. Elsewhere poster

St. Elsewhere 26th October 1982 as Man in E.R.

Newhart poster

Newhart 2nd October 1982 as Construction Worker

Dallas poster

Dallas 2nd April 1978 as Judge J. Fowler