James Avery, the actor most famous for his role as the judge "Uncle Phil" Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, has died, according to reports. He was 65 years old. Avery's publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told the Associated Press that he died in Glendale, California, yesterday following complications from open heart surgery.
Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Banks' son, Carlton, in the show, tweeted: "I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly." Avery's stern patriarch often clashed with a young Will Smith's cool teenage protagonist in the popular US show from the 1990s.
The sitcom, which aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996, was set in the Banks' mansion, to which Smith's character was sent from Philadelphia when things got tough in his own neighborhood. Fans came to know the imposing Banks as Uncle Phil. Avery liked to say that the way to be an actor was to act, and he had a busy and diverse career before,
during and after Fresh Prince. His TV credits
included Grey's Anatomy, NYPD Blue and Dallas, and among his many films were Fletch, Nightflyers and 8 Million Ways to Die. His voice alone brought him many jobs, notably as Shredder in the animated TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. According to Ms Snyder, he will be seen in the film Wish I Was Here, directed by Zach Braff and scheduled to premiere later this month at the Sundance festival.
Avery grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and served in the navy in Vietnam in the late 1960s. After returning to the States, he settled in California and studied drama and literature at the University of California at San Diego. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and stepson,
Kevin Waters.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/james-avery-dead-at-65-actor-was-most-famous-as-uncle-phil-in-the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-9033023.html

RIP James Avery aka 'Uncle Phil'. Gonna miss you...you showed that one can be stern and at the same time loving...Adieu!