ACTOR
James Avery
Known for Grey's Anatomy · Charmed · That '70s Show
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…
Snapshot 2026-10-13
- Born
- Nov 27, 1945
- Died
- Dec 31, 2013
- Birthplace
- Pughsville [now Suffolk], Virginia, USA
- Known For
- Acting
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.
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Known For
TV
Grey's AnatomySam · 2005
★ 8.2
★ 8.2
TV
CharmedZola · 1998
★ 8.2
★ 8.2
TV
That '70s ShowOfficer Kennedy · 1998
★ 7.9
★ 7.9
TV
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationPreston Cash · 2000
★ 7.6
★ 7.6
TV
Spider-ManJim Rhodes / War Machine (voice) · 1994
★ 8.3
★ 8.3
TV
The A-TeamQuint · 1983
★ 7.5
★ 7.5
TV
Star Trek: EnterpriseGeneral K'Vagh · 2001
★ 7.5
★ 7.5
TV
The CloserDr. Crippen · 2005
★ 7.8
★ 7.8
Filmography
Movies
The Blues BrothersMan Dancing Outside Ray's Shop
1980
The Stunt ManDiner Patron (uncredited)
1980
Antony and CleopatraMardian
1983
Laugh BustersHank
1984
Appointment with FearConnors
1985
FletchDetective #2
1985
KicksStanley
1985
StoogemaniaGulch
1985
8 Million Ways to DieDeputy D.A.
1986
CondorCas
1986
ExtremitiesSecurity Guard
1986
Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder StoryHank Dudney
1986
Sunday DriveOliver
1986
The 11th CommandmentAttendant
1986
The Ladies ClubJoe
1986
Deadly Daphne's RevengeDetective Wood
1987
NightflyersDarryl
1987
Three for the RoadClarence
1987
TimestalkersBlacksmith
1987
License to DriveLes' DMV examiner
1988
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a HalfshellShredder (voice)
1988
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hot Rodding TeenagersShredder (voice)
1988
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Epic BeginsShredder (voice)
1988
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes ScandalEarl
1989
Roe vs. Wade
1989
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Incredible Shrinking TurtlesShredder (voice)
1989
Turn Back the ClockFred (uncredited)
1989TM
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga, ShredheadShredder (voice)
1990TM
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Rocksteady and Mighty BebopShredder (voice)
1990
To My DaughterIan Mellon
1990
Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of TimeLt. Coberly
1991
ShoutMidnight Rider (voice)
1991TM
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Attack of the Big MACCShredder (voice)
1991
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Planet of the TurtleoidsShredder (voice)
1991
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles at the Earth's CoreSplinter (voice)
1991
The Linguini IncidentPhil
1991
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles' Awesome EasterShredder (voice)
1992
Little Miss MillionsAgent Noah Hollander
1993
Without Warning: Terror in the TowersFred Derby
1993
A Friend to Die ForAgent Gilwood
1994
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never DieChess Player
1994
Midnight RambleNarrator
1994
Jirimpimbira: An African Folk TaleThe Headman
1995
The Brady Bunch MovieMr. Steve Yeager
1995
Spirit LostDr. Glidden
1997
Quincy Jones... The First 50 YearsSelf
1998
The Advanced GuardFred, Captive Security Guard
1998
The Prince of EgyptAdditional Voices (voice)
1998
You Lucky DogCalvin Bridges
1998
Out in FiftyCappy
1999
Dancing in SeptemberMr. Warner
2001
Dr. Dolittle 2Eldon
2001
EpochDr. Solomon Holt
2001H
Honeybee
2001
The Nightmare Room: Scareful What You Wish ForR.L. Stine
2001
Nancy DrewProf. Shifflin
2002
The Nightmare Room: Camp NowhereR.L. Stine
2002
Hair ShowSeymour Gold
2004
Raise Your VoiceMr. Gantry
2004
Lethal EvictionGus Winter
2005
Spider-Man: The Venom SagaJim Rhodes / War Machine (voice)
2005
The Third WishGeorge
2005
WheelmenVice President
2005
DanikaTeddy Johnson
2006
Think TankUncle John
2006
Who's Your Caddy?Caddy Mack
2007
Divine InterventionRev. Matthews
2008
Steppin: The MovieThe Chancellor
2009
Not Your TimeHaig
2010
Stars in ShortsHaig
2012
Call Me Crazy: A Five FilmDr. Beckett
2013
Hunt for the Labyrinth KillerJudge Parsons
2013
Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesSelf
2014
Wish I Was HereAudition Actor #2
2014Television
DallasJudge J. Fowler · 1 eps
1978
NewhartConstruction Worker · 1 eps
1982
St. ElsewhereMan in E.R. · 1 eps
1982
Reading RainbowSelf - Narrator (voice) · 2 eps
1983
The A-TeamQuint · 1 eps
1983
BrothersBubba · 1 eps
1984
Going BananasHank · 12 eps
1984
Night CourtJudge Hopkins · 1 eps
1984
Amazing StoriesChief Hansen · 1 eps
1985
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling(voice) · 41 eps
1985
MoonlightingReuben King · 1 eps
1985
L.A. LawJudge Michael Conover · 6 eps
1986
Rambo: The Force of Freedom65 eps
1986
The Real GhostbustersKillerwatt (voice) · 1 eps
1986The Real GhostbustersGiant / Gingerbread House / White Rabbit (voice) · 1 eps
1986The Real GhostbustersJudge / Booming Voice / Jurors (voice) · 1 eps
1986
A Different WorldThe Pin Punisher · 1 eps
1987
Beauty and the BeastWinslow · 3 eps
1987
Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesShredder (voice) · 169 eps
1987
A Pup Named Scooby-DooCount Shockula (voice) · 1 eps
1988A Pup Named Scooby-DooPrincipal Morton (voice) · 1 eps
1988
American ExperienceCharles Hamilton Houston (voice) · 1 eps
1988American ExperienceNarrator (voice) · 1 eps
1988
Family Matters(uncredited) · 1 eps
1989
FMQuentin Lamoreaux · 13 eps
1989
Capital NewsMr. Fairchild · 1 eps
1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirPhilip Banks · 148 eps
1990
RocDale Hammers · 1 eps
1991
The Legend of Prince ValiantSir Bryant (voice) · 65 eps
1991
AladdinHaroud Hazi Bin (voice) · 11 eps
1994
DuckmanSchool Policeman (voice) · 1 eps
1994Duckman'Beware!' Guy (voice) · 1 eps
1994
GargoylesThe Shaman (voice) · 1 eps
1994
Iron ManWar Machine (voice) · 13 eps
1994
Spider-ManJim Rhodes / War Machine (voice) · 2 eps
1994
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildFather (voice) · 1 eps
1995
Murder OneNathaniel Alexander · 1 eps
1995
Captain Simian & the Space MonkeysGor-illa (voice) · 26 eps
1996
Quack PackFlint Steel (voice) · 1 eps
1996
SparksAlonzo Sparks · 40 eps
1996
The Jamie Foxx ShowReverend · 1 eps
1996GP
Going PlacesHost · 19 eps
1997
CharmedZola · 1 eps
1998
One WorldWilliam Richard · 1 eps
1998
That '70s ShowOfficer Kennedy · 3 eps
1998
The Wild ThornberrysGorilla (voice) · 1 eps
1998
Two Guys and a GirlJudge · 1 eps
1998
Family Law1 eps
1999
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationPreston Cash · 1 eps
2000
GirlfriendsDr. Couch · 1 eps
2000
Strong MedicineHarold Jenkins · 1 eps
2000
Crossing JordanDr. Erkhart · 1 eps
2001
PhillyDean Mark Clivner · 1 eps
2001
RebaJudge Samuel Bennett · 1 eps
2001
Star Trek: EnterpriseGeneral K'Vagh · 2 eps
2001
The DivisionCharles Haysbert · 9 eps
2001
The Legend of Tarzan(voice) · 1 eps
2001The Legend of TarzanKeewazi (voice) · 3 eps
2001
The Nightmare RoomR.L. Stine · 13 eps
2001
The Proud FamilyCrandall Smythe (voice) · 1 eps
2001
That's So RavenPresto Jones · 1 eps
2003
Grey's AnatomySam · 1 eps
2005
Living with Fran1 eps
2005
The CloserDr. Crippen · 11 eps
2005
Eli StoneMason Andrews · 1 eps
2008
SherriRedmond · 13 eps
2009
Harry's LawFred Billings · 1 eps
2011
The Problem SolverzNinja Master Head (voice) · 1 eps
2011Photos
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