James Avery, star of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' dies at 68

Actor James Avery, who played the beloved Uncle Phil on the hit 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," died Tuesday, his publicist confirmed. He was 68.The cause of death was complications from open-heart surgery, said his manager, Toni Benson.Avery had surgery on November 11 and died Tuesday evening at a hospital in Glendale, California, according to Benson."Fresh Prince" co-star Alfonso Ribeiro tweeted news of Avery's passing."I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery haspassed away," Riberio wrote. "He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of "Fresh Price" star Will Smith, posted the couple's condolences Wednesday on her verified Facebook page."Our condolences to aunt Florence (his mother), Miss Barbara (his wife) and all those who loved him," Pinkett Smith wrote.A classically trained actor and poet, Avery grew upin Atlantic City, New Jersey, 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."According to IMDb, after he served in the military, Avery moved to San Diego, California, where he began writing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. Beforejoining the military, he once said, he had dreams ofbeing like Richard Wright and living in Paris. But life took a different turn."I knew I loved the arts," Avery said in an interviewfor the show "Unscripted." "I knew I wanted to be a writer, but the theater was something I had been involved in before."Avery appeared in multiple TV shows and movies, including "CSI," "That '70s Show," "The Closer" and several appearances as a judge on "L.A. Law."