As far as 2013 goes, it has not been a good year for losing some BIG actors James Gandolfini and Richard Griffiths, spring to mind instantly. On the last day of the year we lost another brilliant talent in James Avery, another hulking great actor who could show you a softer, more emotional side if called up on, not unlike the two mentioned before him.
These actors could fill up the screen not only with size, but with talent, which is what sets them in a part of your mind that will make you remember them.
Born in 1945 in Virginia, Avery was then moved to and raised in Atlantic City. He later served his country during the Vietnam War as part of the Navy. Prior to starting a successful acting and voice work career, Avery was to write Poetry and TV scripts in California. Only during the eighties did his break into movies happen, in which he had roles in many minor forms and films, also starring in a number of TV shows. Not until we reached the nineties, when he found the role of “Uncle Phil” Phillip Banks in the show The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, do we start to get the image of person that most people associate him with. 
While performing the role of Uncle Phil, as I would prefer to call him along with probably most of the millions of fans of the show, you see not only Avery’s massive screen presence but also his ability to act on perhaps a far higher level than the show was at, especially at the beginning. One particular scene I will always recall, is the scene in which Will Smith’s character Will, is rejected yet again by the father that he never known, only to be consoled by Uncle Phil. What follows is an emotional scene, in which both actors leave nothing on the table, u really feel that Avery is deeply into what he is doing and his part in the scene will long stick in my memory as a part of acting often missing these days. This ability is to make a scene stand out without actually having that much to say line wise, but by using reactions, facial expressions and body language to portray what is needed to brilliant effect.
“You are only an actor if you absolutely love it and can not do anything else. Starving for your art is great in your 20s, but it’s not so great at 35. It has to be absolute love. You can’t worry about being a movie star or anything else. Just love. That’s it.” James Avery
Avery also had a very successful side career in voicing characters, think Shredder from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series along with many more, once more proving that there was more to this man than pure vision acting.
Avery died on the final day of 2013, following complications from recent heart surgery and will be missed by not only his family and friends, as I am sure he will be sorely, but also the millions of fans hearts that he reached.
James Avery, Big man, Massive talent……Huge loss!!!!
