Will Smith Breaks Silence on James Avery's Death (PHOTO)
Will Smith finally shared his reaction to the death of his "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" James Avery. The actors worked on the CBS sitcom together for six years until the show ended in 1996.
Almost a week after Avery's death at age 65 on New Year's Eve, Smith broke the silence on his grief.
"Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery," Smith wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday, Jan. 5.
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While Smith portrayed himself on "Fresh Prince," Avery portrayed his strict but loving Uncle Phil on the show.
"Every young man needs an Uncle Phil," the actor added in his Facebook post. "Rest in Peace."
Moreover, Smith shared a photo of the "Fresh Prince" cast.
"This photo was the last time we were together," he wrote in the caption.
Avery's death on Dec. 31 was caused by complications from open heart surgery. He leaves behind his wife of 26 years, Barbara.
Smith is not the only "Fresh Prince" cast member to mourn Avery's death. Alfonso Ribeiro, who portrayed Avery's son Carlton Banks on the show, took to Twitter in mourning last week.
"I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away," the actor posted. "He was like a second father to me. I will miss him greatly."
Tatyana Ali, who starred as Avery's onscreen daughter on "Fresh Prince," echoed Ribeiro's sentiments.
"James was my teacher, my protector & the most magnificent actor," she wrote on Twitter. "We're [feeling] his loss deeply. He'll always be a part of me."
Moreover, Both James Avery and Uncle Phil became trending topics on Twitter on New Year's Day with hundreds of users sounding off about their sadness.
