James Avery of Fresh Prince passes away at 68

If you were born in the 80s and raised in the 90s, I'm sure one of your favorite TV shows growing up was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Well, the man that portrayed Uncle Phil for the show's entire 6 season run has passed away. James Avery will be missed by his co-stars and fans alike. TMZ has more on the story:

James Avery -- the beloved dad on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" -- has died at age 68 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the actor tell TMZ he died in an Glendale, CA hospital last night. Avery had undergone open heart surgery and took a turn for the worse late yesterday.

And we're told ... his wife, Barbara, had been at his bedside but left for a short period of time and when she came back ... she learned he had just died.

Alfonso Ribeiro -- who played Avery's son on "Fresh Prince" -- just posted a message on his Facebook page. "I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly."

Avery starred in dozens of TV shows through the years -- shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "The Closer," "L.A. Law," and "The Jeffersons." This past year, he appeared in three TV movies -- most recently, "Go, Bolivia, Go!" -- but didn't appear to have other projects in the works.