James Avery obit

He was not on the list.

James Avery of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fame dead at 68

James Avery, the bulky character actor who laid down the law as the Honorable Philip Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," has died.

Avery's publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told The Associated Press that Avery died Tuesday in Glendale, Calif., following complications from open heart surgery. He was 68, Snyder said.

Avery's "Fresh Prince" co-star Alfonso Ribeiro, who played his son Carlton on the show, took to Twitter following Avery's death:

Avery played Will Smith's uncle on the popular TV series and was called Uncle Phil. His movie credits included "Fletch," "The Prince of Egypt" and "8 Million Ways to Die." He also appeared in "Grey's Anatomy," "That '70s Show" "Charmed" and "That's So Raven."

According to Snyder, he will be seen in the film "Wish I Was Here," directed by Zach Braff and scheduled to premiere later this month at the Sundance festival.

Avery grew up in Atlantic City, N.J., and served in the Navy in Vietnam in the late 1960s. After returning to the states, he settled in California and studied drama and literature at the University of California at San Diego.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and stepson Kevin Waters.

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1980      The Stunt Man       Man Playing Pinball         Uncredited

1980      The Blues Brothers          Man Dancing      Uncredited

1985      Fletch    Detective #2      

1985      Appointment with Fear Connors              

1985      Stoogemania      Gulch   

1986      Fist of the North Star      Fang      Voice, (1991 Streamline Pictures dub)

1986      The Eleventh Commandment     Larry     

1986      8 Million Ways to Die     Deputy D.A.       

1986      The Ladies Club                 Joe        

1986      Extremities         Security Guard

1987      Three for the Road          Clarence              

1987      Nightflyers          Darryl   

1987      Deadly Daphne's Revenge            Det. Wood         

1987      Jake's M.O.         Abel Barnes       

1988      License to Drive                Les' DMV Examiner         

1991      Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time           Lt. Coberly          

1991      Shout    Midnight Rider Voice

1991      The Linguini Incident       Phil        

1993      Little Miss Millions           Agent Noah Hollander   

1995      The Brady Bunch Movie                 Steve Yeager     

1997      Spirit Lost            Dr. Glidden        

1998      12 Bucks              Slow     

1998      The Prince of Egypt         Additional Characters     Voice

1999      Out in Fifty          Cappy   

1999      After Romeo                     

2000      Dancing in September   Mr. Warner        

2001      Honeybee           Larry Dukes        

2001      Dr. Dolittle 2       Eldon    

2001      Chasing Sunsets                Mr. Burken        

2004      Raise Your Voice               Mr. Gantry         

2004      Hair Show            Seymour Gold   

2005      Lethal Eviction   Gus Winter        

2005      The Third Wish George

2005      Wheelmen          Vice President  

2005      A Christmas Wish             Saint      Short

2006      Restraining Order             Judge Sanderson             

2006      Think Tank          Uncle John         

2006      Danika Teddy Johnson

2007      Who's Your Caddy?         Caddy Mack       

2007      Divine Intervention         Rev. Matthews

2008      His Good Will     Mr. Cooper         Short

2008      Leave with It      Dr. Leon               Short

2009      Steppin: The Movie         The Chancellor

2010      Let the Game Begin         Mark Hanley      

2010      Stride    George

2010      The Grind            Modelo Snipes

2012      Valediction         Edward                 Short

2014      Wish I Was Here               Audition actor #2            

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1983      Antony and Cleopatra    Mardian               TV movie

1983      Tales of the Gold Monkey             Gabriel Episode: "God Save the Queen"

1983      Newhart              Construction Guy             Episode: "Heaven Knows Mr. Utley"

1983      The Jeffersons   Coleman              Episode: "Father Christmas"

1983-1984          Simon & Simon Huey, Roy            2 episodes

1984      Hill Street Blues                Tolliver 3 episodes

1984      Legmen                No Neck               Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released"

1984      Hardcastle and McCormick                           Episode: "Scared Stiff"

1984      Going Bananas Hank     

1984      Webster               Judge    Episode: "Webster Long" (2)

1984      Fist of the North Star      Fang      Voice; English dub

1984      The Dukes of Hazzard     Charlie Episode: "Cool Hands, Luke & Bo"

1984-1985          Brothers               Bubba Dean        2 episodes

1985      Street Hawk        Councilman Waters         Pilot

1985      St. Elsewhere     Mental Patient Episode: "Give the Boy a Hand"

1985      Cagney & Lacey                                 Episode: "Who Says It's Fair" (1)

1985      Kicks      Stanley TV movie

1985      Space    Jean-Marie         CBS miniseries

1985      Scarecrow and Mrs. King               Nabuti Episode: "Murder Between Friends"

1985      Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling Junkyard Dog     Voice

1985      George Burns Comedy Week                      Episode: "The Assignment"

1985      The A-Team                        Episode: "The Heart of Rock n' Roll"

1985      Moonlighting     Reuben King       Episode: "Twas the Episode Before Christmas"

1986      Karate Kommandos         Additional voices             

1986      Amazing Stories                Chief Hansen      Episode: "Hell Toupee"

1986      Rambo and the Forces of Freedom           Turbo    Voice

1986      Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Movie        Hank Dudney     TV movie

1986      Condor Cas         TV movie

1986      Sunday Drive      Oliver    TV movie

1986-1989          The Real Ghostbusters   Killerwatt / Judge             Voice, 3 episodes

1986-1989          Amen    Arnie Samples / Rev. Crawford   5 episodes

1987      Jake's M.O.         Abel Barnes        Unsold pilot / TV movie

1987      Timestalkers       Blacksmith          TV movie

1987      Jake and the Fatman                       Episode: "Fatal Attraction"

1987-1989          Valerie Judge N. Keller / Mr. Erdman       2 episodes

1987−1993          Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles    Shredder             Voice, 103 episodes

1988      Dallas    Judge Fowler      Episode: "Malice in Dallas"

1988      Beauty and the Beast      Winslow              

1988      227        Jo-Jo      Episode: "My Aching Back"

1988      Heart and Soul Harlan Sinclair   Pilot

1988-1992          L.A. Law                Judge Michael Conover 9 episodes

1989      Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal       Earl        TV movie

1989      Roe vs. Wade                     TV movie

1989      FM         Quentin Lamoreaux        TV Series

1989      A Different World             The Pin Punisher              Episode: "To Have and Have Not"

1989      Turn Back the Clock         Physical Therapist            TV movie

1990      Night Court         Judge Hopkins   Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" (1)

1990      Capital News                      Pilot

1990      To My Daughter                                TV movie

1990-1996          The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air           Philip Banks        148 episodes

1991      Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles    Shredder             Voice, TV movie

1991      The Legend of Prince Valiant       Sir Bryant             Voice, 9 episodes

1992      Roc         Dale Hammers   Episode: "The Car Accident from Heaven"

1993      Without Warning: Terror in the Towers Fred Ferby           TV movie

1993      Family Matters Little G's father Episode: "Scenes from a Mall"

1993-1994          American Experience      Charles Hamilton Houston / Narrator      2 episodes

1994      Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die          Chess Player       TV movie

1994      A Friend to Die For           Agent Gilwood TV movie

1994      Aladdin                 Haroud Hazi Bin                Voice, 9 episodes

1994-1995          Iron Man      War Machine     Voice, 7 episodes

1995      ABC Weekend Special    Headman             Voice, Episode: "Jirimpimbira – An African Folk Tale"

1995      Murder One       Judge Nathaniel Alexander          Episode: "Chapter Five"

1996      Gargoyles            The Shaman       Voice, Episode: "Walk About"

1996      Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys              Gor-illa/Gor        Voice, 26 episodes

1996      Spider-Man        War Machine     Voice, 2 episodes

1996-1998          Sparks   Alonzo Sparks    40 episodes

1996-1998          In the House       Mediator / Sampson Stanton      2 episodes

1997      Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child      Father   Voice, Episode: "The Golden Goose"

1997      Extreme Ghostbusters   Danny   Voice, Episode: "Dry Spell"

1998      The Advanced Guard      Fred       TV movie

1998      You Lucky Dog   Calvin Bridges    TV movie

1998      The Wild Thornberrys            Gorilla   Voice, Episode: "Valley Girls"

1999      Vengeance Unlimited     Judge Christopher Washington   Episode: "Legalese"

1999      King's Pawn        Cecil       Pilot

1999      Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?      Malcolm Avalon                2 episodes

1999      For Your Love     Rev. Hicks            Episode: "Mother Load"

1999      Family Law                          Episode: "Damages"

1999-2000          Pepper Ann        Mr. Clapper        3 episodes

2000      Bull        Prof. Gilbert Granville     Episode: "What the Past Will Bring"

2000      One World          William Richard                 Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"

2000      CSI: Crime Scene Investigation    Preston Cash      Episode: "Unfriendly Skies"

2000      Two Guys and a Girl        Judge    Episode: "Rescue Me"

2000-2002          Dharma & Greg                 Walter 2 episodes

2001      Epoch    Dr. Solomon Holt              TV movie

2001      The Jamie Foxx Show      Reverend            Episode: "Always and Forever"

2001      Strong Medicine               Harold Jenkins   Episode: "Wednesday Night Fever"

2001      The Legend of Tarzan     Chief Keewazi    Voice, 3 episodes

2001      The Proud Family             Crandall Smythe               Voice, Episode: "Spelling Bee"

2001-2002          The Nightmare Room     R.L. Stine              12 episodes

2001−2003          Soul Food            Walter Carter     4 episodes

2002      Philly     Dean Mark Clivner           Episode: "Here Comes the Judge"

2002      Judging Amy       Mr. Ruff               Episode: "Damage Control"

2002      Nancy Drew        Prof. Shifflin       TV movie

2002-2003          The Division        Charles Haysbert              9 episodes

2003      Reba      Judge Samuel Bennett   Episode: "The Feud"

2003      Crossing Jordan                 Dr. Erkhart          Episode: "Conspiracy"

2003      Street Smarts     Contestant          Episode: "May 16, 2003"

2003      All About the Andersons               Roscoe Episode: "Flo's Dream"

2003-2004          All of Us               Lucas     2 episodes

2004      That '70s Show Officer Kennedy               3 episodes

2004      Charmed              Zola        Episode: "A Call to Arms"

2004      NYPD Blue           Steve Pines         Episode: "Great Balls or Ire"

2004      Girlfriends           Dr. Couch            Episode: "Maybe Baby"

2004      That's So Raven                 Presto Jones       Episode: "Opportunity Shocks"

2005-2007          The Closer           Dr. Crippen         11 episodes

2005      My Wife and Kids             Professor Tillman             Episode: "Study Buddy"

2005      Star Trek: Enterprise       General K'Vagh 2 episodes

2005      Living With Fran                Mr. Bryant          Episode: "Learning with Fran"

2006      Take 3   Judge Sanderson              Episode: "Study Buddy"

2008      Eli Stone               Mason Andrews               Episode: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

2009      Sherri    Redmond            4 episodes

2011      The Problem Solverz       Go-Seeki Ninja Master / Ninja Master Head          Voice, Episode: "Hide and Seek Ninjaz"

2012      Grey's Anatomy                Sam       Episode: "One Step Too Far"

2012      The Young and the Restless         Judge Roy Daley                2 episodes

2013      Call Me Crazy: A Five Film             Dr. Beckett          TV movie, segment: "Eddie"

2013      Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer        Judge Parsons    TV movie

2013      Go, Bolivia, Go! Commissioner Morocco                 TV Movie

2015      Da Jammies        Covington            Voice, Episode: "Cello"

Posthumous release

 

Cicely Rigdon obit

Disney Legend Cicely Rigdon has died

She was not on the list.

It was a quality that Walt Disney had, and obviously Cicely Rigdon had it, too—persistence. “When they first opened the Park,”

    Cicely once recalled, “I made five attempts to get a job. The fifth time, I was finally hired, and I was so excited I came home and drove my car through the garage!”

Cicely began at Disneyland in 1957 as a ticket seller. In 1959, she joined the Tour Guide Department and was responsible for initiating its growth and development. “Walt really liked the Tour Guides,” Cicely said. “Every time he would come to the Park he would always stop by and see us and talk to us.”

She eventually became the supervisor of Guest Relations, and in 1967 took on additional responsibility for the ticket sellers, ticket receptionists, and Guest Relations. While in Guest Relations, she was responsible for Walt’s apartment above the Main Street Fire Station, and was therefore known as the “Keeper of the Keys.”

Among the other highlights of her career, Cicely most fondly remembered her trip with Walt Disney to the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, and the many conversations she had with him while he was in the Park. She also counted being able to train all the ticket sellers and ticket receptionists for the opening of Walt Disney World as one of her treasured opportunities.

Beginning in 1982, Cicely led and developed the Disneyland Ambassador Program, working with thirteen Disneyland Ambassadors during her tenure, and representing Disneyland around the world. She retired as manager of the Ambassador Program in 1994, with a 37-year Disneyland career to her credit. Despite her long career of traveling, the first thing Cicely did after her retirement was to travel to England to visit her family.

She remembered her years at Disneyland and her unique boss with great fondness. “Walt was just a very decent, very nice man,” Cicely once said. “And I believe that is reflected in all of us here at Disneyland, and that this place for family and fun and decency is what it’s all about.”

She was given a window with her name on it at Disneyland, one of the highest honors for a park employee.

She told the Disney News magazine: “I worked very hard to make the Tour Guide program successful–which it was. We had 11 different languages and 120 Tour guides during the summertime. We would sell as many as 4,000 tickets on a given day.” She also had nice memories of her interaction with Walt at the Park, and reminisced that, “Walt really liked the Tour Guides. Every time he would come to the Park he would always stop by and see us and talk to us. He used to make suggestions, like, ‘Well now, all these people that take this guided tour, you should make sure that they all get into the Golden Horseshoe. They pay more than anybody else. You should get them in there.”

Mrs. Lilian Disney’s favorite “host” to assist her while in the Park was the always gracious and attentive Cicely Rigdon. Rigdon shared a heartfelt story with me (one of her favorites, I am sure) about one of Lillian’s last visits to the apartment. It was shortly after John L. Truyens had passed away in 1981 (Lillian’s second husband). Lillian pulled in to her favorite parking place just behind City Hall. There to meet her was Cicely. She assisted Lillian up the stairs to the apartment, unlocked the door, and opened the door for her. Shortly after crossing the door’s threshold and entering the little hallway into the main room, it was almost as if a rush of emotion and pleasantries for the space caught up with her; she longingly looked back to Cicely and said, “Oh how I miss my Walt.” Don’t we all!

Cicely Rigdon passed away on December 31, 2013.