oh my god turkey with pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes before James Avery would
take on the iconic role of Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of bel-air for six
seasons from 1990 to 1996 butter drenched dressing tiny onions swimming
in a sea of cream sauce Oh before the cast of The Fresh Prince would react in
memoriam to a highlight reel of uncle Phil's best moments
before James Avery would pass away on New Year's Eve in 2013 at the age of 68
during open-heart surgery so be proud of yourself
beautiful Abbi raucous be rude go get drunk now I think I can speak for all of
us when I say James Avery aka Uncle Phil well he had a huge impact on all of us
now with the internet everything old is becoming new again and James will he has
recently be getting the love and the recognition that he's so long deserved
now the man was even mentioned in Jay cult hit song no role models where Cole
mentions Uncle Phil as his father figure growing up and the only father he knew
have you clicked on this video you likely want to know a little bit more
about the man who was ranked as one of the world's greatest TV dads now was
work on The Fresh Prince of bel-air we all know about but a lot of people don't
know that he was also the voice of shredder on the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles and he did that for seven years when places are you freaks don't you
recognize us where those lovable wisecracking Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles I never saw you before in my life in the real world well the man he
also served in the Vietnam War now what's your favorite Uncle Phil moment
let me know in the comments down below there's so many I think mine's got to be
them creamy mashed potatoes I want to hear from you guys you know where
goodnight
what's going on guys it's for my double credit act in the life and career of
James Avery prior to his untimely passing here for you of course up before
they were gone now I saw the news of The Fresh Prince cast reacting to old clips
of Uncle Phil and it stirred up a lot of emotions in me and I wanted to know more
about the man now in the past we've done similar videos on the likes of John
Witherspoon so be sure to check that one out after this one and these videos we
make with the utmost respect it's a way to show our love our admiration and our
appreciation for these artists who have left us as always be sure to let me know
who's next in the comments down below now let's get into this video now I've
been thinking you know I have a need to express myself too well you might be
able to get one little twist right here in the back James Avery was born on
November 27th 1945 in Suffolk Virginia but he grew up in Atlantic City New
Jersey and he lived there until 1964 now in an interview with the press of
Atlantic City well he stated that he had a great childhood and although the city
has fallen on hard times more recently well he stated that it was a nice place
during his youth to be honest with you guys I actually took a trip last year to
check out Atlantic City and it's definitely not Vegas but it was still
alright it was okay we stayed at Harrah's and it was an indoor pool so
you know not like Vegas but close yeah let's move on now growing up James he
was more interested in sports than the arts and he actually planned on
attending college on a football scholarship until an injury to his knee
during a football practice will it crush those dreams and we joined the US Navy
in the 1960s after graduating high school and he served in Vietnam from
1968 to 1969 now upon leaving the military while he moved to San Diego
California and he began writing TV scripts at poetry for PBS he stated I
wanted to leave home and I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to
do or what happen that's youth though being fixated
up things I was fixated on being a writer big guy for a writers room you
know I mean he's like over 64 and probably a good 300 pounds-plus anyway
they come in all shapes and sizes just like actors all right now you
wouldn't any for production during his tenure at PBS and deservedly won a
scholarship to the University of California at San Diego from there here
to Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and in literature I found out that it was it
was one of the few things acting was one of the few things but everything you'd
ever been interested in curious about or know anything about you could
incorporate it you got a place to use it know James's first acting part came in
the role of God in the play of JB in 1971 at San Diego Community College now
after performing in his first acting role well he went on to work more in
television and film with early roles in Hill Street Blues The Jeffersons the
Dukes of Hazzard the 18 st. elsewhere Rambo and he lent
his voice to Hulk Hogan's Rock and wrestling where he played junkyard dog
just a junkyard minute it's that Franken that you can build
himself a monster did I ought to be able to help myself
I just God helping to clean up this place that sounds like a very good idea
no the man was working steadily and he married his wife Barbara Walters in 1988
he also became the stepfather to her son Kevin which is kind of like what he did
with well I'm gonna get a great job without him I married me a beautiful
honey and I'm having a whole bunch of kids I'm being a better father than he
ever was and I sure as hell don't need him for that cuz ain't a damn thing he
could ever teach me about how to love my kids
how come you don't want me man
no it wasn't until 1990 that he landed the iconic role of Philip banks on the
Fresh Prince of bel-air now this is a show that would last for six seasons
with 147 episodes produced in total and it became a landmark series for NBC and
it influenced an entire generation of kids now after Will Smith will James
Avery he was the top build star for the show and on the set while he served as a
mentor for will to take full advantage of the global stage that they were
working on James Avery was relentlessly on me to elevate like James Avery
wouldn't give me a damn inch like everything I said everything I did for
James Avery was like nope not good enough you know he was like if
you you have this position look where you are look what you are blessed with
it was like I'm sorry but I'm not accepting anything other than absolute
committed perfection from you and at that time I was bawling you know and
James Avery wouldn't give me nothing and it's like he was he was the model for me
of an actor you know so the craft it's like James Avery was no bullshit like he
was so like serious and like I would look at him and and he just had that
acting power that I wanted to have right during the phenomenal success of The
Fresh principal James he worked steadily now he was on another TV show known as
Sparks and he was in in the house he was also in the Brady Bunch movie and he did
a ton of voiceover work though he also had another six years of work as the
voice actor for shredder and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and if you told me
that that was Uncle Phil when I was a kid it absolutely would have blown my
mind my more importantly Who am I
it'd be like my two favorite TV shows have the same guy I would never have
known he was also the primary host of the popular PBS travel and adventure
series going places now this was public televisions highest-rated series and it
enabled viewers to see different places of the world through Avery's eyes now as
the host of going places while Avery he had the opportunity to visit such
diverse locations which included Turkey Bali Madrid and Yellowstone National
Park Nova man also continued to appear in
popular television shows like Grey's Anatomy That's So Raven and that seventy
show okay well this kid seems to be harmless but since your training why
don't you frisk him anyway no in later years will James be in a
very big man well unfortunately he was restricted to the use of a wheelchair
now he'd undergone surgery on November 11 2013 and then he died from
complications of open heart surgery in Glendale Adventist Medical Center that
was on the evening of December 31st 2013 now as news broke of his passing will
Will Smith he stated some of my greatest lessons in acting living and being a
respectable human being came through James Avery every young man needs an
Uncle Phil rest in peace his ashes they were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off
of Los Angeles California and in the Atlantic Ocean off of Atlantic City in
New Jersey now Uncle Phil he played a pivotal role in my youth and I know a
lot of my peers a lot of youtubers they grew up with Uncle Phil kind of be in
their dad so there's lots of fond memories about him and when I saw the
cast reacting to clips to him well it really goes to show you the impact this
man's had on the world what a what a jam absolutely fantastic guy and you know
what making these kind of videos these before they were gone once they really
liked Phil a good part my heart you know what I mean this guy work to entertain
us and I think he needs to be remembered
for everything you did so that's kind of why this series sometimes it's it's my
favorite to do especially when we can show our full respect as for the rest of
the story well I think we're gonna wrap this one up here because this is before
they were gone now our prayers our love our condolences
they go to his family I wonder what they would do if they ever did a reboot
I guess we're in the future now so they could get a hologram but maybe there
would be best just you know pay tribute as well hmm
anyway well I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens I'll see you guys
in another video