James Avery, best known for playing Uncle Phil on the hit 1990s sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, passed away last night at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 65 years old.
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Avery’s TV son Alfonso Ribeiro (aka Carlton Banks) broke the news on Twitter.
I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly. pic.twitter.com/UrW0EeBFbO
— Alfonso Ribeiro (@alfonso_ribeiro) January 1, 2014
Ribeiro also posted the following message on his Facebook page: “The world has lost a truly special man. I am very saddened to say that James Avery has passed. Even though he played my father on TV, he was a wonderful father figure to me in life. He will be deeply missed.”;
Although the cause of death has not yet been released, Banks recently underwent surgery for an undisclosed illness, and it is suspected that complications from the surgery were a factor in his passing.
In addition to his role in Fresh Prince, Avery’s resumé also included stints on L.A. Law, The Division, Dharma & Greg, That ’70s Show, Star Trek: Enterprise, and The Closer.
