Actor James Avery, best known for playing uncle Philip Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air died Tuesday. He was 65.
Cynthia Snyder, Avery’s publicist, told the Associated Press that the actor passed away Tuesday in Glendale, Calif., after experiencing complications from open-heart surgery.
A Navy veteran and trained Shakespearean actor, Avery became a familiar face to TV viewers as Uncle Phil, the curmudgeonly father figure to Will Smith’s character on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired from 1990 to 1996 on NBC.
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Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks on the series, tweeted Wednesday, “I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.”
