Actors Reflect On James Avery's Death!

Actor James Avery passed away. He played Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Shredder on the 1987 Mirage's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series.

It turns out the first day was a surprise for most in the entertainment community.

Actor James Avery, who played Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has passed away yesterday marking the first celebrity death of 2014.

His publicist and CNN confirmed that he passed away. An outpouring of sympathy came from Hollywood including his former co-star Alfonso Ribeiro, who tweeted, "I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly."

Avery had recently undergone open heart surgery and reportedly died from complications from the operation.

A classically trained actor and poet, Avery grew up in Atlantic City, N.J., where he was raised by a single mother. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and first appeared onscreen as a dancer in an uncredited role in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers."

Avery also voiced characters for many animated series, most notably for 1987's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" as The Shredder. He also did voice acting for 1990s "Iron Man" character War Machine.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their wealthy Bel-Air mansion, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his relatives. The 148 episodes were broadcast over six seasons.

He was survived by his wife Barbara in 1988. He had no children of his own, but was a stepfather to his wife's son, Kevin Waters.

It's disputed about his age. According to TMZ, he was 65. But to Wikipedia, he was 68.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of James Avery.