The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Cast: Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS)

Then: James Avery took a real bite out of crime as Will’s judiciary Uncle Phil, but did you know he was also the voice of Shredder on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? So multifaceted! Also, he used to long to be a writer like Richard Wright, sitting on the Left Bank of Paris drinking absinthe. How cool is that?

Now: James has continued to appear on TV in shows ranging from Judging Amy to That ‘70s Show to Grey’s Anatomy. (Yes, that was him in a Kaplan University commercial a few years ago.) In 2010, Twitter rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated... especially considering he gave a commencement address at University of California, San Diego a few weeks ago. His wife, Barbara, is a college dean, which is sort of similar to how his professorial TV wife earned a living.