The actor who played one of the 50 greatest TV dads of all time has passed away at the age of 65. James Avery, who played the patriarch and judge Phillip Banks on the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, died yesterday in a Los Angeles Hospital. Avery also provided the voice of Shredder in the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” TV series, as well as Michael Kelso’s commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of the popular sitcom “That ’70s Show”.
And another veteran film, television and stage actor has passed away. Joseph Ruskin, who garnered more than 120 TV credits, including “Mission Impossible” and “Star Trek”, was 89 when he died of natural causes. Ruskin also appeared in 25 films including “The Magnificent Seven”, “Prizzi’s Honour” and “Smoking Aces”.