'Fresh Prince' Dad James Avery Dies Dead At 68 
 
 James Avery Dead -- 'Fresh Prince' Uncle Phil Dies At 68 
 
 EXCLUSIVE 
 
 -- the beloved dad on "" -- has died at age 68 ... TMZ has learned.Sources close to the actor tell TMZ he died in a Glendale, CA hospital last night. Avery had undergoneand took a turn for the worse late yesterday.And we're told ... his wife, Barbara, had been at his bedside but left for a short period of time and when she came back ... she learned he had just died.-- who played Avery's son on "Fresh Prince" -- just posted a message on his Facebook page.Avery starred in dozens of TV shows through the years -- shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "The Closer," "L.A. Law," and "The Jeffersons." This past year, he appeared in three TV movies -- most recently, "Go, Bolivia, Go!" -- but didn't appear to have other projects in the works.Avery reunited with most of his "Fresh Prince" cast -- including Will Smith -- two years ago at a charity event. ||||| Although best known as the uncle/patriarch and judge "Philip Banks" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), James Avery is a classically trained actor and scholar. A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, he joined the US Navy after graduating high school and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Upon leaving the military, he moved to San Diego, ...
– James Avery, who memorably starred as Will Smith's gruff Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died at the age of 65, TMZ reports. Avery had reportedly recently undergone open heart surgery, and died from complications in a Los Angeles hospital last night. His wife Barbara had briefly left his side, reports TMZ. "The world has lost a truly special man," said Alfonso Ribeiro in a Facebook post. "Even though he played my father on TV, he was a wonderful father figure to me in life. He will be deeply missed. "