James Avery

Hosted the PBS series "Going Places"

Did narration for "Midnight Ramble", a documentary special on PBS's "The American Experience" about the African-American independent film movement between 1910 and 1940

Provided the voice of Midnight Rider for the failed John Travolta rock'n'roll vehicle, "Shout"

Reprised the role of Shredder for the animated special, "Planet of the Turtleoids"

Played a recurring role on the CBS fantasy romance series, "Beauty and the Beast"

Returned to features for his second screen credit, "Three for the Road"

Provided a voice for the animated "Rambo" series

TV miniseries debut, "James A. Michener's 'Space'"

TV-movie debut, "Kicks"

TV series debut, a voice on the animated children's series "Going Bananas"

Feature debut, "The Stunt Man"

Served in Vietnam

After graduating from college, awarded a fellowship to study in London

Attended high school in his native Atlantic City, New Jersey

Awarded scholarship to the University of California at San Diego, where he intended to study philosophy and English literature

Cast as Phillip Banks, a regular on the popular NBC sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

Debut as a live-action TV series regular, "FM", an NBC sitcom in which he played the role of Quentin Lamoreaux

Enlisted in the Navy upon graduation

Moved to L.A.

Moved to Oregon; worked with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland

Played a recurring role on the NBC drama series, "L.A. Law"

Played the recurring role of Reverend Crawford on the NBC sitcom, "Amen"

Provided a voice for "Scooby's Mystery Funhouse"

Provided the voice of Junkyard Dog for "Hulk Hogan's Rock'N' Wrestling" cartoon series

Settled in San Diego

Starred as patriarch of a family of lawyers on the UPN sitcom "Sparks"

Tried out for a school play on the suggestion of an English teacher

Voiced the villainous Shredder on the popular syndicated cartoon series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

Wrote poetry and TV scripts for public TV