James Avery who played Will Smith‘s Uncle Phil on “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air” died this past Tuesday at the age of 68. The star of the 90s hit sitcom suffered from complications after having open-heart surgery. He initially had the surgery on November 11 and passed away in his hospital bed in Glendale, California.

His character Phillip Banks (fill up banks — get it?) was a wealthy family man who took in his nephew, Will, to help get his life on track. This story was truly one of a kind, portrayed an untypical story about an African-American family. Never before had a program of this nature been aired on national television.

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Avery was best known for his role in “The Fresh Prince,” but has appeared in numerous other films and television shows such as “That ’70s Show,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Soul Food” and “Dr. Dolittle 2.” He was born and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but moved to San Diego, California, upon leaving the military.

“The Fresh Prince” theme song is one every 90s kid can recite at any given moment — the show was just part of our childhood.

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