“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor James Avery died in a Los Angeles hospital last night (Dec. 31), according to TMZ. He was 68.
His publicist confirmed the news of his death to CNN, as did 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.”
