# James Avery

> American actor (1945–2013)

**Wikidata**: [Q493077](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q493077)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Avery)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/james-avery

## Summary

James Avery was an American actor, voice actor, screenwriter, and poet who lived from November 27, 1945, to December 31, 2013. He is best known for his work in film, television, and voice acting, with a career spanning from 1980 to 2013. His versatility across multiple performance disciplines—acting, screenwriting, and poetry—made him a notable figure in American entertainment.

## Biography

- **Born**: November 27, 1945
- **Died**: December 31, 2013
- **Nationality**: United States
- **Full Name**: James La Rue Avery (also known as James La Rue Avery, Sr., James LaRue Avery, and James L. Avery)
- **Education**: Attended Virginia State University (public university in Virginia, founded 1882); attended University of California, San Diego (public university in La Jolla, California, founded November 18, 1960)
- **Known for**: Multi-disciplinary career as actor, voice actor, screenwriter, and poet in American film, television, and entertainment
- **Employer(s)**: Not specified in available source material
- **Field(s)**: Acting, screenwriting, voice acting, poetry, film, television

## Contributions

Based on the available source material, James Avery's professional roles included:

- **Acting**: Work as both a film actor and television actor, performing in dramatic and comic productions across multiple media platforms
- **Screenwriting**: Writing for films, television shows, comics, and games
- **Voice Acting**: Providing voice work for characters in films, animation, video games, and other media
- **Poetry**: Writing poetry as a distinct creative discipline
- **Career Span**: Active in the entertainment industry from 1980 to 2013

## FAQs

**What was James Avery's primary profession?**

James Avery was primarily an actor, but his career encompassed multiple creative disciplines including screenwriting, voice acting, and poetry. He worked across film, television, animation, video games, and comics.

**Where was James Avery educated?**

James Avery attended Virginia State University, a public university in Virginia founded in 1882, and the University of California, San Diego, a public university in La Jolla, California founded in 1960.

**When did James Avery live?**

James Avery was born on November 27, 1945, and passed away on December 31, 2013. His professional career in entertainment spanned from 1980 to 2013.

**What type of actor was James Avery?**

James Avery was a versatile performer who worked as both a television actor and film actor, in addition to being a voice actor who provided voice-overs for animated characters, video games, and other media. He was also a screenwriter and poet.

**What was James Avery's nationality?**

James Avery was American, with United States citizenship.

## Why They Matter

James Avery matters as an example of a multi-disciplinary artist who bridged several creative fields within American entertainment. His work as both an on-screen performer and behind-the-scenes creator (screenwriter) demonstrates the breadth of talent present in the American acting community. As a voice actor, he contributed to the animation and video game industries during a period of significant growth in these media. His dual identity as a poet and entertainment professional also illustrates the diverse creative expressions possible within a single career. The combination of his educational background at both a historically Black university (Virginia State University) and a major research university (UC San Diego) reflects the varied paths available to American artists.

## Notable For

- Multi-disciplinary career spanning acting, screenwriting, voice acting, and poetry
- Work across multiple entertainment media including film, television, animation, video games, and comics
- Career duration of 33 years (1980–2013)
- Educational background at two distinct American universities
- Contributions to both on-screen and voice performance roles

## Body

### Early Life and Education

James La Rue Avery was born on November 27, 1945, in the United States. His educational path took him through two notable American institutions: Virginia State University, a public historically Black university in Virginia founded in 1882, and the University of California, San Diego, a major public research university in La Jolla, California, founded in 1960. This combination of a historically Black university and a leading research institution provided him with a diverse educational foundation that would support his varied creative pursuits.

### Career Overview

James Avery's professional career in entertainment began in 1980 and continued until his death in 2013, spanning approximately 33 years. His work encompassed multiple facets of the entertainment industry, demonstrating remarkable versatility as a creative professional.

His primary occupations included:

- **Actor**: Performing in dramatic and comic productions across film, television, theatre, and radio
- **Film Actor**: Appearing in feature films
- **Television Actor**: Performing in television productions
- **Voice Actor**: Providing voice work for animated characters, video games, and other media requiring voice-over performances
- **Screenwriter**: Writing for films, television shows, comics, and games
- **Poet**: Writing poetry as a distinct creative discipline

This breadth of expertise placed him among the multi-hyphenate artists who contributed to various segments of American media and entertainment.

### Professional Roles

As an actor, James Avery participated in both film and television productions, working in what the source material describes as "dramatic or comic production[s]" across multiple platforms. His work as a screenwriter involved writing for "films, TV shows, comics and games," indicating familiarity with diverse narrative formats and storytelling mediums.

His voice acting career encompassed work in "films, animation, video games, or in other media," reflecting the expanding landscape of voice performance opportunities in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The animation and video game industries experienced significant growth during his career, and voice actors like Avery helped bring characters to life across these emerging media.

### Personal Background

James Avery held American citizenship throughout his life. His full name appears in records as James La Rue Avery, with variations including James La Rue Avery, Sr., James LaRue Avery, and James L. Avery. He passed away on December 31, 2013, concluding a career that spanned more than three decades in American entertainment.

### Professional Affiliations

His educational affiliations included Virginia State University and the University of California, San Diego. These institutions represent different aspects of American higher education—a historically Black university with roots in the post-Civil War era and a modern research university that became a major academic center in the latter half of the 20th century.

### Legacy and Impact

James Avery's career exemplifies the versatility possible in American entertainment, where performers often transition between on-screen roles, voice work, and creative writing. His work across multiple media—film, television, animation, video games, comics, and poetry—demonstrates the interconnected nature of modern creative industries. The combination of his acting, screenwriting, and poetic pursuits illustrates how artists in the entertainment field often pursue multiple creative outlets simultaneously, contributing to the rich tapestry of American cultural production during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

## References

1. [Source](http://entertainment.time.com/2014/01/01/fresh-prince-james-avery-dead/)
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. [‘Fresh Prince’ Cast Reunite To Say Final Goodbyes To James Avery (Uncle Phil). 2014](https://web.archive.org/web/20170330224755/https://www.xonecole.com/photos-fresh-prince-cast-reunite-to-say-final-goodbyes-to-james-avery-uncle-phil/)
4. International Standard Name Identifier
5. Find a Grave
6. [Source](http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/01/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/james-avery-obit/index.html?hpt)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. BBC Things
9. The Movie Database
10. [James Avery (28 Character Images) - Behind The Voice Actors](https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/James-Avery/)
11. [Source](https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/James_Avery?oldid=465439)
12. [James Avery | Memory Alpha | Fandom](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/James_Avery)