James Avery, the bulky character actor who laid down the law at home and on the job as the Honorable Philip Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," has died.
Avery's publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told The Associated Press that Avery died Tuesday in Glendale, Calif., following complications from open heart surgery. He was 68, Snyder said.
Avery, who stood more than 6 feet tall, played the family patriarch and a wealthy attorney and judge on the popular TV comedy that launched the acting career of Will Smith as Banks' troublemaking nephew.
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 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, N.J., 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.
Whitney Houston’s epic 1994 performance in South Africa will hit theaters as a concert film
Whitney Houston 's epic concert in South Africa staged after President Nelson Mandela's landmark election will be hitting theater screens this fall.
Houston's performance in 1994 has been turned into a fully-remastered theatrical release called "The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban)," according to a statement Tuesday from several collaborators, including Houston's estate, Sony Music Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing.
The limited theatrical screening will debut Oct. 23 and feature the late singer's never-before-released show from Durban, South Africa. The project will come ahead of a new live album, "The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban)," which will be released Nov. 8.
"She loved South Africa; she loved the people, and she loved Nelson Mandela," said Pat Houston, the singer's sister-in-law and Houston estate executor who is an executive producer on the concert film. "This concert is one of the most consequential concerts of her career. On this momentous 30th anniversary, we are thrilled that we can release this film not only to her fans, but to the people of South Africa and its new generation."
In 1994, Houston took the stage for three concerts in South Africa including in Durban at Kings Park Stadium, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Her performances came in a newly unified post-apartheid nation following Mandela's historic election victory.
The concerts drew more than 200,000 attendees in a show filled with celebration of freedom, hope and unity. The proceeds from her concerts benefited numerous local South African children's charities through her foundation.
For the film, Houston's performance was remastered into 4K video along with enhanced audio. The concert film will be shown in nearly 900 cinemas in more... Read More