James Avery Passed Away!

James Avery, best known for playing Will Smith‘s Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, died on Tuesday night. He was 65. 

“I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away,” Alfonso Ribeiro, who played his son, Carlton, on the hit sitcom, Tweeted Wednesday. 

“He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.”

The New Jersey-born star had recently undergone surgery for an undisclosed illness and passed away at an L.A. hospital.

In addition to playing Smith’s beloved uncle, Avery guest starred on That ’70s Show, CSI,The Closer and Grey’s Anatomy.