‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Cast Reunites In James Avery’s Memory [Photos]

Even after all of these years The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast seem to be as close as ever. Following the death of their patriarch, James Avery, the cast got together to honor and pay respect to the beloved man known as Uncle Phil to viewers of the hit sitcom.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast including Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana Ali, Joseph Marcell, and Daphne Maxwell Reid joined together for a reunion for a special memorial service for Avery on Saturday. Noticeably absent from the ceremony was the star of the sitcom, Will Smith.

Ribeiro posted the photo on his Twitter of the group together. Included in the photo was Avery’s wife, Barbara. The actor captioned the photo with a respectful but heartbreaking message for those who were fans of Avery’s work:

“We said goodbye to the amazing James Avery last night. I was honored to host the memorial for Barbara Avery. It was a wonderful tribute and celebration of his life. He will be deeply missed.”

Avery, who went on to work on television shows like The Closer, The Division, and Pepper Ann died at the age of 68 in December from complications from open heart surgery. It is believed that James Avery suffered from heart and liver disease.

Will Smith waited a few days before making a statement about Avery’s passing on his official Facebook page. Smith wrote a heartfelt message for his colleague and friend:

“Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery. Every young man needs an Uncle Phil. Rest in Peace.”

The first cast member from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to react was Avery’s television son, Alfonso Ribeiro, who wrote on his Twitter:

“I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.”

Check out some photos from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion: