'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Star James Avery Dead at 68

 By 
Alex Hazlett
 on 
'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Star James Avery Dead at 68

James Avery, best known for playing Philip Banks on the television classic Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, died Wednesday at age 68.

Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Uncle Phil's son Carlton on the show, announced Avery's death on Twitter and Facebook.

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

Avery had undergone surgery shortly before his death, according to TMZ, but no definitive cause of death has been released.

At the time of writing, "Uncle Phil" was trending on Twitter in the United States.

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